Zlatan Ibrahimović

when someone hates you, you know they hate you; when someone loves you, you can never tell if it’s true love.

In our house in Sweden not a single photograph of me playing football can be seen – not a trophy, nothing. In my children’s home only their father lives, not the footballer, because this is our haven, our refuge

According to my philosophy, this is perfection: being yourself.

Pour it into your game instead. Put more of your anger into your football and you’ll see: you’ll wind up enjoying your revenge against the players who work to get under your skin, instead of getting yourself sent off.

There’s something Vujadin Boškov used to say that’s become notorious: ‘If a man chooses his woman over a cold beer and the Champions League final, it may be true love, but he’s not a true man.’

No, that makes him a true man.

Okay, you take the free kicks in training, and I’ll take them during the match.’