Ibrahimovic in Awkward Reunion With Guardiola After Their Relationship Broke Down at Barcelona

Ibrahimovic in Awkward Reunion With Guardiola After Their Relationship Broke Down at Barcelona

  • Italian giants AC Milan defeated Premier League champions Manchester City 3-2 in a pre-season friendly on Saturday evening
  • Before the encounter at Yankee Stadium in New York, Man City manager Pep Guardiola met with legendary AC Milan forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic
  • Guardiola and Ibrahimovic worked together in Spain about a decade ago at Barcelona and they did not get on well

Zlatan Ibrahimovic had a brief reunion with his former Barcelona manager, Pep Guardiola, before AC Milan’s pre-season match against Manchester City.

The Swedish star, who now serves as a senior advisor to AC Milan's ownership and management, had a tumultuous relationship with Guardiola during their one season together.

Ibrahimovic in awkward reunion with Pep Guardiola after their relationship broke down at Barcelona
Zlatan Ibrahimovic played under Pep Guardiola at Barcelona during the 2009/10 season. Photo by Lluis Gene.
Source: Getty Images

The ex-Manchester United forward and Guardiola have not seen eye-to-eye since the former AC Milan forward and the Manchester City manager fell out during their time at Barcelona.

Read also

Texas says Meta to pay $1.4 bn to settle photo-tagging lawsuit

In his 2013 autobiography, I Am Zlatan, Ibrahimovic referred to Guardiola as a “spineless coward”, among other criticisms, while reflecting on Barcelona's infamous Champions League exit to Inter Milan.

Ibrahimovic and Pep's awkward reunion in the USA

Over a decade after his time at Camp Nou, the AC Milan legend encountered the Spanish gaffer while exploring Yankee Stadium in New York.

In a video shared on social media, Guardiola approached Ibrahimovic, and the two shared a brief conversation before the pre-season match between Manchester City and AC Milan.

Ibrahimovic, who had previously claimed that Guardiola "hid from him" in the dressing room after a game, scored 22 goals in 46 appearances for Barcelona before moving permanently to AC Milan in 2011.

Despite this, their relationship remained strained. In 2017, Ibrahimovic remarked via Goal:

Read also

Enzo Fernandez makes peace with Chelsea mates after viral racist chant video

“The problem wasn’t with me; it was with him. He never came to terms with it. I don’t know what his issue was with me.”

Ibrahimovic poses with Haaland

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Ibrahimovic was at his charismatic best when he met up with Erling Haaland.

After the City's friendly game against Milan, an off-the-pitch moment involving Ibrahimovic and the Norway international stole the spotlight, as cited by Goal.

Haaland presented Ibrahimovic with a signed City home jersey, and the Swedish legend remarked that they needed "no filters" when posing for photos together.

Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Isaac Darko avatar

Isaac Darko (Sports Editor) Isaac Darko is a Sports Editor at Yen, boasting over 10 years of experience in the media industry. He has produced award-winning TV shows such as "Football 360" and "Sports XTRA" on ViaSat 1/Kwese TV. Isaac began his career as an Assistant Producer at TV3 Ghana Limited (Media General) and also contributed as a Writer and Weekend Editor for Pulse Ghana. He earned his bachelor's degree in Communication Studies from the Ghana Institute of Journalism (now University of Media, Arts and Communication). Email: isaac.darko@sportsbrief.com.