Zlatan Ibrahimović

In the 2011-2012 season, Zlatan Ibrahimović had a prolific start with AC Milan. On August 6, he played in the 2011 Supercoppa Italiana against Inter, scoring the first goal in a 2–1 comeback victory, securing Milan's first trophy of the season. In the opening league match of the Serie A season, Ibrahimović scored Milan's first goal in a 2–2 draw against Lazio.
His contributions continued in the Champions League, scoring against Viktoria Plzeň and BATE Borisov. He maintained his solid performances with goals in Serie A matches against Parma and a brace in a 3–2 away victory over Roma in October.


November saw Ibrahimović scoring in consecutive games against BATE and Catania. In a Champions League match against Barcelona, he scored against his former club to equalize, though Barcelona eventually won 3–2. In the same month, he netted a brace against Chievo, reaching a career total of 100 Serie A goals.


As December began, Ibrahimović scored in each of the five Serie A games, and in January 2012, he continued his impressive form with goals against Atalanta and a brace against Novara. However, on February 5, 2012, he received a red card in a match against Napoli for an off-the-ball incident, resulting in a three-match ban from Serie A games.


In the Champions League round of 16's first leg against Arsenal on February 15, Ibrahimović played a pivotal role, setting up two goals and scoring one in Milan's 4–0 victory. On March 3, during a 4–0 away win against Palermo, he scored a first-half hat-trick, taking his goal tally to 17. Ibrahimović concluded the season as the top scorer in Serie A with 28 goals in 32 appearances.


On July 17, 2012, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) confirmed the acquisition of Zlatan Ibrahimović's sporting and economic rights from AC Milan. The transfer was agreed upon for a fee of €20 million, making it one of the highest transfer fees in football at that time. The combined fees, including the transfer fee and Ibrahimović's salary, were valued at €180 million, surpassing the amounts commanded by other players, including Nicolas Anelka.


As part of the deal, Ibrahimović agreed to personal terms with PSG. His contract with the club was for three years, and he was set to receive a net annual salary of €14 million, including bonuses. This made him the second-highest-paid footballer in the world at the time, trailing only behind Samuel Eto'o. The substantial financial package reflected Ibrahimović's status as one of the top football talents globally.


The day after the agreement was confirmed, Zlatan Ibrahimović officially signed the contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). During the press conference, he made a statement expressing his excitement and commitment to the project, stating, "It is a big step in my career and another dream come true. I am very happy because it is a project that I want to be involved in. I want to be part of the history of the club. I am here to win and nothing else.


Ibrahimović made an immediate impact on the field for PSG. In their opening match of the 2012–13 Ligue 1 season against Lorient, he scored twice in the second half to help the team rally from a 2–0 deficit at halftime and secure a 2–2 draw at home. Additionally, he contributed two goals in the first half of the following match against Lille, leading PSG to a 2–1 victory. This win marked PSG's first Ligue 1 victory after three consecutive draws at the beginning of the season.


In the 2012–13 Champions League Group A match against Dynamo Kyiv on September 18, 2012, Zlatan Ibrahimović scored his sixth goal for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in only his fifth appearance for the club, converting a penalty. With this goal, he became the first player to score for six different clubs in the UEFA Champions League.


On October 8, 2012, Ibrahimović achieved a unique feat by becoming only the third player (after Ronaldinho and Laurent Blanc) to have played in El Clásico in Spain, the Derby della Madonnina in Italy, and Le Classique (the derby between Marseille and PSG) in France. In the Ligue 1 Classique derby against Marseille at the Stade Vélodrome, he scored both of PSG's goals, securing a 2–2 draw.


On December 11, 2012, Ibrahimović scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 away win against Valenciennes. In January 2013, he was given the number 10 jersey following the departure of Brazilian winger Nenê. In April 2013, Ibrahimović scored in a 2–2 draw against his former club Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, but PSG was eliminated on away goals after drawing 1–1 at Camp Nou in the second leg.


Paris Saint-Germain won the Ligue 1 title on May 12, 2013, after a 1–0 away win against Lyon, securing their third title and the first since 1994. Ibrahimović finished the season as Ligue 1's top goalscorer with 30 goals, becoming the first player to reach that mark in the French top flight since Jean-Pierre Papin in the 1989–90 season. On May 20, he was named Ligue 1's Player of the Year by the Union nationale des footballeurs professionnels.


In the 2013–14 season, Zlatan Ibrahimović scored his first goal on August 31, 2013, in stoppage time as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) secured a 2–0 victory over Guingamp. On September 24, it was announced that Ibrahimović had extended his contract with PSG, keeping him at the club until 2016. A week later, on October 2, he scored twice as PSG defeated Benfica 3–0 in a Champions League group match.


On October 19, Ibrahimović scored two goals in PSG's 4–0 win over Bastia, with one of the goals being an audacious volleyed backheel. This goal was later named Ligue 1's Goal of the Season, chosen by the public. Four days later, on October 23, Ibrahimović scored four goals in PSG's 5–0 away win against RSC Anderlecht in the Champions League. This remarkable feat included the eighth-fastest hat-trick in the competition's history, completed in 19 minutes, and a bending 30-yard half-volley clocked at 93 miles per hour. He became the 11th player to score four times or more in a Champions League match.


On November 27, Ibrahimović marked his 100th UEFA Champions League appearance by scoring the opening goal in a 2–1 win over Olympiacos at the Parc des Princes. On March 16, 2014, he scored both goals in a 2–0 win over Saint-Étienne, surpassing Carlos Bianchi's club record of 39 goals in a season. On May 11, he was named Ligue 1's Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Ibrahimović ended the Ligue 1 season as the top scorer with 26 goals as PSG secured a second consecutive league title. In total, he scored 41 goals in all competitions, including ten in eight Champions League matches.

References

1.  "FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2009 presented by Toyota: List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. 1 December 2009. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
2. ^ "Ibrahimovic Zlatan". Paris Saint-Germain F.C. Archived from the original on 2 May 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
3. ^ Johnson, Jonathan (9 May 2018). "Dani Alves wins 38th trophy but knee injury could cost him shot at World Cup this summer". ESPN. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
4. ^ "Iniesta's 32 trophies at Barça". Barcelona: FC Barcelona. 21 May 2018. Archived from the original on 27 May 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.