Zlatan Ibrahimovic's decision to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-ibrahimovic-set-for-ac-milan-return-reports-270530">return to AC Milan</a> and Italy for what may prove to be the final chapter of his storied career will provide a fascinating twist in the tale of a Serie A season that has been anything but rewarding for the "Rossoneri" so far.

The second-most successful club in Italy behind <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-mandzukic-joins-qatars-al-duhail-from-juventus-270107">Juventus</a> in terms of league titles, Milan are parked in an undignified 10th spot in the standings as the announcement of the Swedish goal-scorers return was made on Friday evening.

Fans will be looking forward to getting reacquainted with a talismanic striker that scored 42 goals in 61 games and winning a league title and an Italian Super Cup before leaving in 2012 to join <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/st-etienne-hit-with-stadium-ban-over-fireworks-during-psg-match-268949">Paris St Germain</a>. However, he is now seven years older with a lot more miles on the clock.

That said, his 31 goals in 31 games last season with LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer would suggest that his power and precision are still there, even if his pace is not.

It could also be argued that playing with players earning far, far less than him in the US&nbsp;has taught the 38-year-old to both manage his extremely high expectations and to take more responsibility for his team's fortunes.

Few believed that Ibrahimovic's period in the MLS - a growing league, but still a relative backwater in global terms - would be the final chapter in a career that has featured goals, glory and no little controversy.

His ability to rile everyone from rival fans to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-pep-guardiola-looking-forward-to-fifth-season-with-manchester-city-269875">Pep Guardiola</a>, his coach at Barcelona, is legendary, and a statue of him in his home town of Malmo has been defaced recently after he acquired an ownership stake in Stockholm rivals Hammmarby.

The contract with Milan runs to the end of the current season with an option for another year, and though a lucrative move to China or the Middle East cannot be ruled out, this may be the last time he signs for a big club in a top league.

With a thin squad that is 21 points behind leaders and bitter city rivals Inter Milan, a Hollywood ending to Milan's season is highly unlikely. However, the drama of Ibrahimovic's return will make Serie A required watching as his career enters its final act.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's decision to return to AC Milan and Italy for what may prove to be the final chapter of his storied career will provide a fascinating twist in the tale of a Serie A season that has been anything but rewarding for the "Rossoneri" so far.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's decision to return to AC Milan and Italy for what may prove to be the final chapter of his storied career will provide a fascinating twist in the tale of a Serie A season that has been anything but rewarding for the "Rossoneri" so far. The second-most successful club in Italy behind Juventus in terms of league titles, Milan are parked in an undignified 10th spot in the standings as the announcement of the Swedish goal-scorers return was made on Friday evening. Fans will be looking forward to getting reacquainted with a talismanic striker that scored 42 goals in 61 games and winning a league title and an Italian Super Cup before leaving in 2012 to join Paris St Germain. However, he is now seven years older with a lot more miles on the clock. That said, his 31 goals in 31 games last season with LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer would suggest that his power and precision are still there, even if his pace is not. It could also be argued that playing with players earning far, far less than him in the US has taught the 38-year-old to both manage his extremely high expectations and to take more responsibility for his team's fortunes. Few believed that Ibrahimovic's period in the MLS - a growing league, but still a relative backwater in global terms - would be the final chapter in a career that has featured goals, glory and no little controversy. His ability to rile everyone from rival fans to Pep Guardiola, his coach at Barcelona, is legendary, and a statue of him in his home town of Malmo has been defaced recently after he acquired an ownership stake in Stockholm rivals Hammmarby. The contract with Milan runs to the end of the current season with an option for another year, and though a lucrative move to China or the Middle East cannot be ruled out, this may be the last time he signs for a big club in a top league. With a thin squad that is 21 points behind leaders and bitter city rivals Inter Milan, a Hollywood ending to Milan's season is highly unlikely. However, the drama of Ibrahimovic's return will make Serie A required watching as his career enters its final act.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic returns to Italy as final chapter looms

Sweden footballer <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-ac-milan-offer-ibrahimovic-six-month-deal-reports-263650">Zlatan Ibrahimovic</a> has fuelled speculation that he is set to return to Italy, where he has played for AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus, by saying in an interview: "see you soon in Italy".

The 38-year-old striker confirmed his departure from Los Angeles Galaxy last month following the club's elimination from the Major League Soccer playoffs.

"I'll join a club which must get back to winning, which must renew its history and is in search of a battle against everyone and everything," Ibrahimovic&nbsp;told GQ Italia.

"That is the only way I'll be able to find the necessary motivation to surprise you again.&nbsp;

"It's not just about choosing a team, as there are other factors that need to line up, including in the interests of my family.

"I'll see you in Italy soon."

According to reports in Italy, Ibrahimovic has been offered a six-month deal to come to the aid of struggling former giants AC Milan, who are 11th in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cristiano-ronaldo-skips-ballon-dor-to-receive-serie-a-player-of-the-year-award-in-italy-266021">Serie A</a> table.

Napoli are also a possible destination as last season's runners-up sit seventh, after a run of six league games without a win.

"I love to make the difference," he added. "I don't just want to do one or two things well, I want to do all of it."

Ibrahimovic played for two seasons between 2010 and 2012 with AC Milan, helping them to their last Serie A title, and scoring 42 goals in 61 league appearances.

He also won three league titles with Inter Milan, and two with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/martinez-fires-inter-top-of-serie-a-as-juventus-slip-up-265660">Juventus</a>, which were both revoked following the 'Calciopoli' match-fixing scandal.

Sweden footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic has fuelled speculation that he is set to return to Italy, where he has played for AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus, by saying in an interview: "see you soon in Italy".

Sweden footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic has fuelled speculation that he is set to return to Italy, where he has played for AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus, by saying in an interview: "see you soon in Italy". The 38-year-old striker confirmed his departure from Los Angeles Galaxy last month following the club's elimination from the Major League Soccer playoffs. "I'll join a club which must get back to winning, which must renew its history and is in search of a battle against everyone and everything," Ibrahimovic told GQ Italia. "That is the only way I'll be able to find the necessary motivation to surprise you again. "It's not just about choosing a team, as there are other factors that need to line up, including in the interests of my family. "I'll see you in Italy soon." According to reports in Italy, Ibrahimovic has been offered a six-month deal to come to the aid of struggling former giants AC Milan, who are 11th in the Serie A table. Napoli are also a possible destination as last season's runners-up sit seventh, after a run of six league games without a win. "I love to make the difference," he added. "I don't just want to do one or two things well, I want to do all of it." Ibrahimovic played for two seasons between 2010 and 2012 with AC Milan, helping them to their last Serie A title, and scoring 42 goals in 61 league appearances. He also won three league titles with Inter Milan, and two with Juventus, which were both revoked following the 'Calciopoli' match-fixing scandal.

'See you soon in Italy': Ibrahimovic fuels talk of Serie A return

Former Sweden striker <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../jose-mourinho-rules-out-zlatan-signing-for- spurs-264565">Zlatan Ibrahimovic</a> was branded "Judas" in graffiti sprayed on a building he owns in Stockholm on Wednesday night following the announcement he had bought a stake in Stockholm club Hammarby.

The entrance to a building owned by the 38-year-old Ibrahimovic was vandalised, police said on Thursday, and Swedish media showed pictures of a gate sprayed with the word "Judas".

Media reported on Wednesday that Ibrahimovic had acquired a stake in Hammarby, prompting angry reactions from fans in Malmo, where he was born and started his professional career.

A Stockholm police spokeswoman said they received a report during the night of graffiti sprayed on the entrance to the building in downtown Stockholm and were treating the incident as vandalism.

A statue of Ibrahimovic, Sweden's leading international goalscorer, outside Malmo Stadium was vandalised on Wednesday and a racist message sprayed on the ground nearby.

Ibrahimovic enjoyed a trophy-laden career after leaving Malmo, playing for Ajax Amsterdam, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris St Germain, and Manchester United before spending the last two seasons in the US&nbsp;Major League with LA Galaxy.

Former Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was branded "Judas" in graffiti sprayed on a building he owns in Stockholm on Wednesday night following the announcement he had bought a stake in Stockholm club Hammarby.

Former Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was branded "Judas" in graffiti sprayed on a building he owns in Stockholm on Wednesday night following the announcement he had bought a stake in Stockholm club Hammarby. The entrance to a building owned by the 38-year-old Ibrahimovic was vandalised, police said on Thursday, and Swedish media showed pictures of a gate sprayed with the word "Judas". Media reported on Wednesday that Ibrahimovic had acquired a stake in Hammarby, prompting angry reactions from fans in Malmo, where he was born and started his professional career. A Stockholm police spokeswoman said they received a report during the night of graffiti sprayed on the entrance to the building in downtown Stockholm and were treating the incident as vandalism. A statue of Ibrahimovic, Sweden's leading international goalscorer, outside Malmo Stadium was vandalised on Wednesday and a racist message sprayed on the ground nearby. Ibrahimovic enjoyed a trophy-laden career after leaving Malmo, playing for Ajax Amsterdam, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris St Germain, and Manchester United before spending the last two seasons in the US Major League with LA Galaxy.

Zlatan called 'Judas' in graffiti on Stockholm building

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-mourinho-pledges-passion-after-being-named-spurs-boss-263591">Jose Mourinho</a> says there is "no chance" of Tottenham signing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-ac-milan-offer-ibrahimovic-six-month-deal-reports-263650">Zlatan Ibrahimovic</a> after the veteran forward was linked with a move to the club following his exit from LA Galaxy.

Mourinho worked with Ibrahimovic at Inter Milan and Manchester United but said signing the 38-year-old would not make sense with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-mourinho-aiming-to-take-spurs-and-kane-to-the-next-level-263998">Harry Kane</a> at his disposal.

"You are right about the connection, we have more than a connection," Mourinho said when asked on Monday whether he would be trying to sign the Swede.

"I would say also passion and understanding, an amazing player and an amazing guy, but I would say 'no'. No chance.

"We have the best striker in England, we have one of the top two or three strikers in the world, it doesn't make any sense for a striker of Zlatan's dimension, obviously in his late 30s, but still a striker that can play in any club in the world."

It has been a hectic first week for Mourinho at the Spurs helm following his appointment last week.

After his unveiling to the media on Thursday, he had his first game 48 hours later at West Ham, which <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/jose-mourinho-makes-instant-impact-as-tottenham-defeat-west-ham-264133">Spurs won 3-2</a>, and is now preparing for a Champions League clash with Olympiakos on Tuesday.

Tottenham, who reached the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/champions-league-costas-stoppage-time-gem-sends-juventus-into-last-16-260436">Champions League</a> final last season,&nbsp;would qualify for the knockout stages with a win or if they drew and Red Star failed to beat Bayern.

Mourinho said he had not yet contacted his friend Mauricio Pochettino, who was sacked by Spurs last week.

"I needed that little bit of space to process things when I left previous clubs," said the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss. "It does not take just five or six days to be open again.

"You take a little bit of time to process things and understand and to think and rethink. You speak with people and in a couple of weeks he will be fine and I will call him."

Part of Mourinho's remit at Spurs is to do one thing that Pochettino could not do -- win silverware.

"I love the competition (Champions League) as much as everyone in football," said Mourinho, who won the trophy with Porto and Inter Milan.

"It's something that everybody dreams about, to win it. Not everyone has the privilege to be a Champions League winner, which I was happy enough to do twice.

"Do I want to win it a third time? Of course, I would love it but I know the difficulties of it.

"But with these boys, I will never be afraid of any Champions League match that comes into our faces. I repeat, we need to qualify, that is the focus. I always say that."

Jose Mourinho says there is "no chance" of Tottenham signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic after the veteran forward was linked with a move to the club following his exit from LA Galaxy.

Jose Mourinho says there is "no chance" of Tottenham signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic after the veteran forward was linked with a move to the club following his exit from LA Galaxy. Mourinho worked with Ibrahimovic at Inter Milan and Manchester United but said signing the 38-year-old would not make sense with Harry Kane at his disposal. "You are right about the connection, we have more than a connection," Mourinho said when asked on Monday whether he would be trying to sign the Swede. "I would say also passion and understanding, an amazing player and an amazing guy, but I would say 'no'. No chance. "We have the best striker in England, we have one of the top two or three strikers in the world, it doesn't make any sense for a striker of Zlatan's dimension, obviously in his late 30s, but still a striker that can play in any club in the world." It has been a hectic first week for Mourinho at the Spurs helm following his appointment last week. After his unveiling to the media on Thursday, he had his first game 48 hours later at West Ham, which Spurs won 3-2, and is now preparing for a Champions League clash with Olympiakos on Tuesday. Tottenham, who reached the Champions League final last season, would qualify for the knockout stages with a win or if they drew and Red Star failed to beat Bayern. Mourinho said he had not yet contacted his friend Mauricio Pochettino, who was sacked by Spurs last week. "I needed that little bit of space to process things when I left previous clubs," said the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss. "It does not take just five or six days to be open again. "You take a little bit of time to process things and understand and to think and rethink. You speak with people and in a couple of weeks he will be fine and I will call him." Part of Mourinho's remit at Spurs is to do one thing that Pochettino could not do -- win silverware. "I love the competition (Champions League) as much as everyone in football," said Mourinho, who won the trophy with Porto and Inter Milan. "It's something that everybody dreams about, to win it. Not everyone has the privilege to be a Champions League winner, which I was happy enough to do twice. "Do I want to win it a third time? Of course, I would love it but I know the difficulties of it. "But with these boys, I will never be afraid of any Champions League match that comes into our faces. I repeat, we need to qualify, that is the focus. I always say that."

Jose Mourinho rules out Zlatan signing for Tottenham Hotspur

Sweden star <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-ibrahimovic-set-for-ac-milan-return-says-mls-chief-260667">Zlatan Ibrahimovic</a> has been offered a six-month deal to come to the aid of struggling former Italian giants AC Milan, according to reports in Italy on Thursday.

The 38-year-old striker confirmed his departure from Los Angeles Galaxy last week following the club's elimination from the Major League Soccer playoffs.

Gazzetta dello Sport and Sky Sports Italia reported that the former seven-time European champions have now made contact with the player's agent Mino Raiola.

The US-owned club want the former Swedish international for six months and are prepared to pay him six million euros ($6.6 million) if he remains for 18 months in total, Gazzetta claimed.

Milan finished fifth last season, missing out on a return to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/champions-league-costas-stoppage-time-gem-sends-juventus-into-last-16-260436">Champions League</a> football by just a point to city rivals Inter.

They have had a poor start to this campaign and are 14th after 12 games before they host last year's runners-up Napoli on Saturday in the San Siro.

Ibrahimovic played for two seasons between 2010 and 2012 with AC Milan, helping them to their last Serie A title, and scoring 42 goals in 61 league appearances.

He also won three league titles with Inter Milan, and two with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/serie-a-juventus-dybala-sinks-milan-as-angry-ronaldo-substituted-261314">Juventus</a>, which were both revoked following the 'Calciopoli' match-fixing scandal.

Sweden star Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been offered a six-month deal to come to the aid of struggling former Italian giants AC Milan, according to reports in Italy on Thursday.

Sweden star Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been offered a six-month deal to come to the aid of struggling former Italian giants AC Milan, according to reports in Italy on Thursday. The 38-year-old striker confirmed his departure from Los Angeles Galaxy last week following the club's elimination from the Major League Soccer playoffs. Gazzetta dello Sport and Sky Sports Italia reported that the former seven-time European champions have now made contact with the player's agent Mino Raiola. The US-owned club want the former Swedish international for six months and are prepared to pay him six million euros ($6.6 million) if he remains for 18 months in total, Gazzetta claimed. Milan finished fifth last season, missing out on a return to Champions League football by just a point to city rivals Inter. They have had a poor start to this campaign and are 14th after 12 games before they host last year's runners-up Napoli on Saturday in the San Siro. Ibrahimovic played for two seasons between 2010 and 2012 with AC Milan, helping them to their last Serie A title, and scoring 42 goals in 61 league appearances. He also won three league titles with Inter Milan, and two with Juventus, which were both revoked following the 'Calciopoli' match-fixing scandal.

AC Milan offer Ibrahimovic six-month deal - Reports

Zlatan Ibrahimovic will not return to the LA Galaxy for the 2020 MLS season, the team said in a statement on Wednesday.

The 38-year-old Swedish striker tallied 52 goals and 17 assists in 53 starts for the Galaxy, the team he joined in March 2018 from Manchester United.

The charismatic Ibrahimovic, who has also played for some of Europe's biggest clubs including Barcelona, Juventus, Paris St Germain, Inter Milan and AC Milan, said he was leaving Los Angeles on a high note.

"I came, I saw, I conquered," Ibrahimovic wrote on Twitter.

"Thank you @lagalaxy for making me feel alive again. To the Galaxy fans -- you wanted Zlatan, I gave you Zlatan," he said.

"You are welcome. The story continues ... Now go back to watching baseball."

Despite Ibrahimovic being the highest-paid player in the league, pocketing $7.2 million for the 2019 campaign, the Galaxy won just one playoff game in his two seasons.

The team fell to crosstown rivals LAFC 5-3 in the MLS Cup conference semi-finals last month.

He was the team's top goal scorer both seasons and was twice named in the MLS Best XI list.

Few had expected him to return for a third season with his contract expiring at the end of the year and it is unclear what is next for Ibrahimovic, who has been linked in media reports with returns to AC Milan and Manchester United.

"We would like to thank Zlatan for his contributions to the LA Galaxy and Major League Soccer," LA Galaxy President Chris Klein said in a statement, which described the decision as mutual.

"Since his arrival in 2018, Zlatan has positively influenced the sport of soccer in Los Angeles. We are grateful for his work ethic and passion. We thank Zlatan for his professionalism and immeasurable impact on the Los Angeles community and the soccer community in North America as a whole."

Zlatan Ibrahimovic will not return to the LA Galaxy for the 2020 MLS season, the team said in a statement on Wednesday. The 38-year-old Swedish striker tallied 52 goals and 17 assists in 53 starts for the Galaxy, the team he joined in March 2018 from Manchester United.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic will not return to the LA Galaxy for the 2020 MLS season, the team said in a statement on Wednesday. The 38-year-old Swedish striker tallied 52 goals and 17 assists in 53 starts for the Galaxy, the team he joined in March 2018 from Manchester United. The charismatic Ibrahimovic, who has also played for some of Europe's biggest clubs including Barcelona, Juventus, Paris St Germain, Inter Milan and AC Milan, said he was leaving Los Angeles on a high note. "I came, I saw, I conquered," Ibrahimovic wrote on Twitter. "Thank you @lagalaxy for making me feel alive again. To the Galaxy fans -- you wanted Zlatan, I gave you Zlatan," he said. "You are welcome. The story continues ... Now go back to watching baseball." Despite Ibrahimovic being the highest-paid player in the league, pocketing $7.2 million for the 2019 campaign, the Galaxy won just one playoff game in his two seasons. The team fell to crosstown rivals LAFC 5-3 in the MLS Cup conference semi-finals last month. He was the team's top goal scorer both seasons and was twice named in the MLS Best XI list. Few had expected him to return for a third season with his contract expiring at the end of the year and it is unclear what is next for Ibrahimovic, who has been linked in media reports with returns to AC Milan and Manchester United. "We would like to thank Zlatan for his contributions to the LA Galaxy and Major League Soccer," LA Galaxy President Chris Klein said in a statement, which described the decision as mutual. "Since his arrival in 2018, Zlatan has positively influenced the sport of soccer in Los Angeles. We are grateful for his work ethic and passion. We thank Zlatan for his professionalism and immeasurable impact on the Los Angeles community and the soccer community in North America as a whole."

Football: Zlatan the Conqueror to leave LA Galaxy

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is set to rejoin Italian side AC Milan after his successful stint at LA Galaxy, Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber has said.

The 38-year-old Swedish striker has spent the past 18 months in MLS, but his contract with Galaxy expires at the end of the year, and he has been linked with a host of European clubs.

Ibrahimovic played for Milan between 2010 and 2012, scoring 42 goals in 61 league appearances, and Garber said he was on his way back to Serie A.

"Zlatan is such an interesting guy," he told ESPN. "He keeps my hands full and my inbox full, but he's a thrill-a-minute.

"He is a 38-year-old guy who is being recruited by AC Milan, one of the top clubs in the world."

Ibrahimovic was named in the MLS Best XI in 2018 and 2019 after netting 53 goals in the competition.

His season with Galaxy ended after they suffered a 5-3 defeat by local rivals Los Angeles Football Club in the MLS Cup Western Conference semi-finals last month.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is set to rejoin Italian side AC Milan after his successful stint at LA Galaxy, Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber has said. The 38-year-old Swedish striker has spent the past 18 months in MLS, but his contract with Galaxy expires at the end of the year, and he has been linked with a host of European clubs.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is set to rejoin Italian side AC Milan after his successful stint at LA Galaxy, Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber has said. The 38-year-old Swedish striker has spent the past 18 months in MLS, but his contract with Galaxy expires at the end of the year, and he has been linked with a host of European clubs. Ibrahimovic played for Milan between 2010 and 2012, scoring 42 goals in 61 league appearances, and Garber said he was on his way back to Serie A. "Zlatan is such an interesting guy," he told ESPN. "He keeps my hands full and my inbox full, but he's a thrill-a-minute. "He is a 38-year-old guy who is being recruited by AC Milan, one of the top clubs in the world." Ibrahimovic was named in the MLS Best XI in 2018 and 2019 after netting 53 goals in the competition. His season with Galaxy ended after they suffered a 5-3 defeat by local rivals Los Angeles Football Club in the MLS Cup Western Conference semi-finals last month.

Football: Ibrahimovic set for AC Milan return, says MLS chief

A big bronze statue of Zlatan Ibrahimovic - a symbol of "everything is possible" - was unveiled outside Malmo Arena in the striker's hometown of Malmo on Tuesday (October 8).

"Powerhouse" statue of Zlatan Ibrahimovic unveiled in his hometown

Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are the star names on the 10-player short-list announced on Monday by FIFA for its Puskas award for goal of the year.

They are joined by three women and five men, with goals scored between July 16, 2018 and July 19, 2019.

There are nominees from the Bundesliga, Spanish Liga and women's World Cup and one, a jaw-dropping shot by Billie Simpson of Cliftonville Ladies, from a Northern Ireland women's league game played on what appears to be a public pitch in front of no spectators.&nbsp;

Messi, who has yet to win the award, earned a seventh nomination with a delicate chip for Barcelona against Betis in Seville. Ibrahimovic netted with a balletic volley for LA Galaxy in Toronto in Major League Soccer.

The award, which was established in 2009, is named after the legendary Hungary, Spain and Real Madrid striker Ferenc Puskas.&nbsp;

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Fans can vote until September 1 on the 10 candidates nominated by FIFA. The governing body of world football will then choose between the top three vote-getters.&nbsp;

The two other women candidates are Ajara Nchout for a dribble and shot for Cameroon against New Zealand in the World Cup and Amy Rodriguez of Utah for a dribble and long-range shot in the US National Women's Soccer League.&nbsp;

The remaining five choices are: Brazilian Matheus Cunha, of RB Leipzig, for a spin and chip against Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, Italian veteran Fabio Quagliarella for a back-heeled volley for Sampdoria against his former club Napoli, Colombian Juan Fernando Quintero for a free kick for River Plate against Argentine rivals Racing, Andros Townsend of Crystal Palace for a volley against Manchester City and Daniel Zsori for an overhead kick for Debrecen in the Hungarian league.

Last year the Puskas award was won by Mohamed Salah of Liverpool. Ibrahimovic won in 2013. Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar have also won.

The winner will be announced at the FIFA Football Awards in Milan on September 23.

Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are the star names on the 10-player short-list announced on Monday by FIFA for its Puskas award for goal of the year. They are joined by three women and five men, with goals scored between July 16, 2018 and July 19, 2019.

Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are the star names on the 10-player short-list announced on Monday by FIFA for its Puskas award for goal of the year. They are joined by three women and five men, with goals scored between July 16, 2018 and July 19, 2019. There are nominees from the Bundesliga, Spanish Liga and women's World Cup and one, a jaw-dropping shot by Billie Simpson of Cliftonville Ladies, from a Northern Ireland women's league game played on what appears to be a public pitch in front of no spectators. Messi, who has yet to win the award, earned a seventh nomination with a delicate chip for Barcelona against Betis in Seville. Ibrahimovic netted with a balletic volley for LA Galaxy in Toronto in Major League Soccer. The award, which was established in 2009, is named after the legendary Hungary, Spain and Real Madrid striker Ferenc Puskas. 🚨 #PUSKAS AWARD 🚨 The ten candidates have been revealed 👀 Vote now 🗳️👇 — FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) August 19, 2019 × Fans can vote until September 1 on the 10 candidates nominated by FIFA. The governing body of world football will then choose between the top three vote-getters. The two other women candidates are Ajara Nchout for a dribble and shot for Cameroon against New Zealand in the World Cup and Amy Rodriguez of Utah for a dribble and long-range shot in the US National Women's Soccer League. The remaining five choices are: Brazilian Matheus Cunha, of RB Leipzig, for a spin and chip against Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, Italian veteran Fabio Quagliarella for a back-heeled volley for Sampdoria against his former club Napoli, Colombian Juan Fernando Quintero for a free kick for River Plate against Argentine rivals Racing, Andros Townsend of Crystal Palace for a volley against Manchester City and Daniel Zsori for an overhead kick for Debrecen in the Hungarian league. Last year the Puskas award was won by Mohamed Salah of Liverpool. Ibrahimovic won in 2013. Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar have also won. The winner will be announced at the FIFA Football Awards in Milan on September 23.

Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic nominated for FIFA goal of the year

Zlatan Ibrahimovic lived up to the bravado on Friday, scoring all three goals to power the LA Galaxy to a hard fought 3-2 victory over MLS rivals Los Angeles Football Club.&nbsp;

The unstoppable 37-year-old showed he's still capable of astounding feats by dominating the smaller LAFC defence and scoring when it counted the most for his second career MLS hat trick. &nbsp;

"When you play against a rival like that, in a full stadium, I get pumped. I get adrenaline. This is considered to be the biggest game in the league and I show up in the biggest games," said Ibrahimovic.

Ibrahimovic, who has a flair for the dramatic since the big Swede joined the MLS in 2018, boasted prior to Friday's game that he is "by far" the best player in the league despite Carlos Vela's superior stats.

The pre-game hype was about the marquee matchup between Galaxy's Ibrahimovic and LAFC's Vela. The duo scored all five goals, but it was the Swede who delivered in the key moments, scoring in the eighth, 56th and 70th minutes.

The Galaxy depend almost entirely on Ibrahimovic for offence and he thanked them with another hat trick performance against the top-ranked team in the league.

"I am in playoff mode every day," said Ibrahimovic.

Vela scored his league-leading 20th and 21st goals in fourth and 97th minutes for LAFC, who were hoping to stake their claim to North American soccer supremacy with a win on Friday. Vela now has five more goals on the season than Ibrahimovic who is in second place.

Vela opened the scoring with his 20th goal of the season by converting a penalty kick into the bottom left corner. Vela took a pass down the wing and Galaxy goalkeeper David Bingham came charging out of his net to trip him up.

Ibrahimovic tied it up four minutes later with a spectacular right-foot shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner at Dignity Health Park in south-central Los Angeles.&nbsp;

While in full flight, Ibrahimovic took a high pass from Julian Araujo off his chest to his right foot. He volleyed it over the head of two defenders and let it bounce once on the turf before blasting it home from long range.

He scored in the 56th minute on a header to give the Galaxy their first lead of the game. Ibrahimovic outleaped LAFC defender Jordan Harvey and lofted the ball from the right side of the box to the high centre of the goal and out of the reach of goalkeeper Tyler Miller.

LAFC, who are on pace to break MLS records for points and goals scored this season, were controlling the offence around the hour point but all it took was one chance for Ibrahimovic to pad the Galaxy's lead.

Ibrahimovic blasted a left-footed shot from outside the box to the right corner in the 70th minute to bring the Galaxy to 3-1. It was his 520th career goal across all leagues.

Testy contest

Mexican international Vela rounded out the scoring in extra time by right footing a shot home but Ibrahimovic's heroics had already taken the fire out of the LAFC offence.

Tempers flared in the hotly contested contest in the 73rd minute between LAFC's Eddie Segura and the Galaxy's Rolf Feltscher. After they came together, players from both teams joined in on the mainly pushing and yelling match.&nbsp;

There were a total of eight yellow cards handed out Friday with five going to the Galaxy.&nbsp;

Zlatan Ibrahimovic lived up to the bravado on Friday, scoring all three goals to power the LA Galaxy to a hard fought 3-2 victory over MLS rivals Los Angeles Football Club.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic lived up to the bravado on Friday, scoring all three goals to power the LA Galaxy to a hard fought 3-2 victory over MLS rivals Los Angeles Football Club. The unstoppable 37-year-old showed he's still capable of astounding feats by dominating the smaller LAFC defence and scoring when it counted the most for his second career MLS hat trick. "When you play against a rival like that, in a full stadium, I get pumped. I get adrenaline. This is considered to be the biggest game in the league and I show up in the biggest games," said Ibrahimovic. Ibrahimovic, who has a flair for the dramatic since the big Swede joined the MLS in 2018, boasted prior to Friday's game that he is "by far" the best player in the league despite Carlos Vela's superior stats. The pre-game hype was about the marquee matchup between Galaxy's Ibrahimovic and LAFC's Vela. The duo scored all five goals, but it was the Swede who delivered in the key moments, scoring in the eighth, 56th and 70th minutes. The Galaxy depend almost entirely on Ibrahimovic for offence and he thanked them with another hat trick performance against the top-ranked team in the league. "I am in playoff mode every day," said Ibrahimovic. Vela scored his league-leading 20th and 21st goals in fourth and 97th minutes for LAFC, who were hoping to stake their claim to North American soccer supremacy with a win on Friday. Vela now has five more goals on the season than Ibrahimovic who is in second place. Vela opened the scoring with his 20th goal of the season by converting a penalty kick into the bottom left corner. Vela took a pass down the wing and Galaxy goalkeeper David Bingham came charging out of his net to trip him up. Ibrahimovic tied it up four minutes later with a spectacular right-foot shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner at Dignity Health Park in south-central Los Angeles. While in full flight, Ibrahimovic took a high pass from Julian Araujo off his chest to his right foot. He volleyed it over the head of two defenders and let it bounce once on the turf before blasting it home from long range. He scored in the 56th minute on a header to give the Galaxy their first lead of the game. Ibrahimovic outleaped LAFC defender Jordan Harvey and lofted the ball from the right side of the box to the high centre of the goal and out of the reach of goalkeeper Tyler Miller. LAFC, who are on pace to break MLS records for points and goals scored this season, were controlling the offence around the hour point but all it took was one chance for Ibrahimovic to pad the Galaxy's lead. Ibrahimovic blasted a left-footed shot from outside the box to the right corner in the 70th minute to bring the Galaxy to 3-1. It was his 520th career goal across all leagues. Testy contest Mexican international Vela rounded out the scoring in extra time by right footing a shot home but Ibrahimovic's heroics had already taken the fire out of the LAFC offence. Tempers flared in the hotly contested contest in the 73rd minute between LAFC's Eddie Segura and the Galaxy's Rolf Feltscher. After they came together, players from both teams joined in on the mainly pushing and yelling match. There were a total of eight yellow cards handed out Friday with five going to the Galaxy.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic nets hat trick in upset win over LAFC

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been suspended for two games after grabbing New York City FC goalkeeper Sean Johnson by the neck during Los Angeles Galaxy's defeat last weekend, Major League Soccer said Friday.

The MLS Disciplinary Committee announced in a statement it was sanctioning Ibrahimovic for violent conduct after the incident in the 86th minute of the game on May 11.

Ibrahimovic and Johnson wrestled each other to the floor after coming together in the closing stages of Galaxy's defeat last week.

Both players received a yellow card for the incident for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Johnson later accused Ibrahimovic of losing his cool.

"Zlatan is a talented player, he obviously knows what he is doing, he is a clever boy and you know, it is a part of the game," Johnson said.

"I would be frustrated if I were him too, you know. Can't blame him for his frustration at that point in the game," the goalkeeper added.

It is the second retrospective sanction Ibrahimovic has received in recent weeks.

He was hit with an undisclosed fine on May 10 after being found guilty of diving during his team's loss against Columbus Crew.

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For those wondering, here is the video of zLatan chocking NYCFC Goalkeeper Sean Johnson. Ibrahim later said that he did not touch him. See for yourself and make the call <a href="https://t.co/Id4GO6m7pM">pic.twitter.com/Id4GO6m7pM</a>
— LAFC Central (@CentralLafc) <a href="https://twitter.com/CentralLafc/status/1127353458145652736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Ibrahimovic was also involved in a stormy on-pitch altercation with Real Salt Lake's Nedum Onuoha last month.

Onuoha later claimed Ibrahimovic had been making threats towards him during the match before later apologising.

"From 60 minutes in, he's saying to me what he's going to do me, he's going to hurt me," Onuoha said afterwards.

"And this is the guy who's the face of the MLS, as he calls himself, but this is the way he plays on the field",&nbsp;Onuoha added.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been suspended for two games after grabbing New York City FC goalkeeper Sean Johnson by the neck during Los Angeles Galaxy's defeat last weekend, Major League Soccer said Friday.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been suspended for two games after grabbing New York City FC goalkeeper Sean Johnson by the neck during Los Angeles Galaxy's defeat last weekend, Major League Soccer said Friday. The MLS Disciplinary Committee announced in a statement it was sanctioning Ibrahimovic for violent conduct after the incident in the 86th minute of the game on May 11. Ibrahimovic and Johnson wrestled each other to the floor after coming together in the closing stages of Galaxy's defeat last week. Both players received a yellow card for the incident for unsportsmanlike conduct. Johnson later accused Ibrahimovic of losing his cool. "Zlatan is a talented player, he obviously knows what he is doing, he is a clever boy and you know, it is a part of the game," Johnson said. "I would be frustrated if I were him too, you know. Can't blame him for his frustration at that point in the game," the goalkeeper added. It is the second retrospective sanction Ibrahimovic has received in recent weeks. He was hit with an undisclosed fine on May 10 after being found guilty of diving during his team's loss against Columbus Crew. For those wondering, here is the video of zLatan chocking NYCFC Goalkeeper Sean Johnson. Ibrahim later said that he did not touch him. See for yourself and make the call pic.twitter.com/Id4GO6m7pM — LAFC Central (@CentralLafc) May 11, 2019 × Ibrahimovic was also involved in a stormy on-pitch altercation with Real Salt Lake's Nedum Onuoha last month. Onuoha later claimed Ibrahimovic had been making threats towards him during the match before later apologising. "From 60 minutes in, he's saying to me what he's going to do me, he's going to hurt me," Onuoha said afterwards. "And this is the guy who's the face of the MLS, as he calls himself, but this is the way he plays on the field", Onuoha added.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic banned after neck grab in LA Galaxy's last game

Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic of the Los Angeles Galaxy was named Monday as Major League Soccer Newcomer of the Year, defeating England's Wayne Rooney among others for the award.&nbsp;

Ibrahimovic won in a balloting of MLS coaches and players plus a media panel with an average of 36.36 percent support to 32.25 percent for DC United captain Rooney.&nbsp;

Mexico's Carlos Vela of Los Angeles FC was third on 13.47 percent. Ibrahimovic scored 22 goals and added 10 assists in what was only the third 20-and-10 season in MLS history. The Galaxy went 9-2 with four drawn when the Swedish icon scored a goal.&nbsp;

With a roundhouse volley kick to score against Toronto FC on September 15, Ibrahimovic netted his 500th career goal, joining Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as only the third active player to reach that lofty milestone.&nbsp;

Ibrahimovic failed to lead the Galaxy into the play-offs but his career has already included titles with European giants FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan.&nbsp;

He has also netted a record 62 goals for Sweden, with star turns in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.&nbsp;

Rooney, who scored 12 goals in 21 appearances for DC United after joining the club in July and lifting them from the cellar to the playoffs, won the nod in voting from club technical staff -- 34.31 percent to 28.43 percent over Zlatan.&nbsp;

But the Swede edged Rooney in player balloting 34.99 to 30.90 percent and decisively took media voting 45.65 percent to 31.53 percent.&nbsp;

Newcomer of the Year recognizes players in their first MLS season but with prior professional experience, making Rookie of the Year candidates ineligible.&nbsp;

Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic of the Los Angeles Galaxy was named Monday as Major League Soccer Newcomer of the Year, defeating England's Wayne Rooney among others for the award.

Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic of the Los Angeles Galaxy was named Monday as Major League Soccer Newcomer of the Year, defeating England's Wayne Rooney among others for the award. Ibrahimovic won in a balloting of MLS coaches and players plus a media panel with an average of 36.36 percent support to 32.25 percent for DC United captain Rooney. Mexico's Carlos Vela of Los Angeles FC was third on 13.47 percent. Ibrahimovic scored 22 goals and added 10 assists in what was only the third 20-and-10 season in MLS history. The Galaxy went 9-2 with four drawn when the Swedish icon scored a goal. With a roundhouse volley kick to score against Toronto FC on September 15, Ibrahimovic netted his 500th career goal, joining Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as only the third active player to reach that lofty milestone. Ibrahimovic failed to lead the Galaxy into the play-offs but his career has already included titles with European giants FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan. He has also netted a record 62 goals for Sweden, with star turns in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. Rooney, who scored 12 goals in 21 appearances for DC United after joining the club in July and lifting them from the cellar to the playoffs, won the nod in voting from club technical staff -- 34.31 percent to 28.43 percent over Zlatan. But the Swede edged Rooney in player balloting 34.99 to 30.90 percent and decisively took media voting 45.65 percent to 31.53 percent. Newcomer of the Year recognizes players in their first MLS season but with prior professional experience, making Rookie of the Year candidates ineligible.

Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic named top MLS newcomer

The Swedish FA have officially confirmed that Zlatan Ibrahimovic will not be coming out of international retirement for FIFA World Cup 2018.

"I spoke to Zlatan on Tuesday, and he said that he hasn't changed his mind about the national team - it's a no," Lasse Richt, chief of staff for the national team, said in a statement.

There were speculations that Sweden's record goalscorer Ibrahimovic might overturn his decision and mark a comeback in the 21st football World Cup which is scheduled to take place in Russia.

Zlatan had retired in the year 2016 after the 2016 European Championships in France and been plagued by a knee injury for almost a year.

Recently he played brilliantly his debut match for MLS club Los Angeles Galaxy against Los Angeles FC and scored a stunner.

"Zlatan Ibrahimovic is in that case, for the same reason as with previous national team gatherings, not under consideration for the World Cup squad that national team coach Janne Andersson will announce on May 15," the statement went on.

Sweden booted out Italy to qualify for the World Cup and was placed on Group F campaign with South Korea, Germany and Mexico.

The Swedish FA have officially confirmed that Zlatan Ibrahimovic will not be coming out of international retirement for FIFA World Cup 2018

The Swedish FA have officially confirmed that Zlatan Ibrahimovic will not be coming out of international retirement for FIFA World Cup 2018. "I spoke to Zlatan on Tuesday, and he said that he hasn't changed his mind about the national team - it's a no," Lasse Richt, chief of staff for the national team, said in a statement. There were speculations that Sweden's record goalscorer Ibrahimovic might overturn his decision and mark a comeback in the 21st football World Cup which is scheduled to take place in Russia. Zlatan had retired in the year 2016 after the 2016 European Championships in France and been plagued by a knee injury for almost a year. Recently he played brilliantly his debut match for MLS club Los Angeles Galaxy against Los Angeles FC and scored a stunner. "Zlatan Ibrahimovic is in that case, for the same reason as with previous national team gatherings, not under consideration for the World Cup squad that national team coach Janne Andersson will announce on May 15," the statement went on. Sweden booted out Italy to qualify for the World Cup and was placed on Group F campaign with South Korea, Germany and Mexico.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic wont play in FIFA 2018, says Swedish FA

Zlatan Ibrahimovic announced his arrival in Major League Soccer with two goals on his debut including an injury-time winner as the Los Angeles Galaxy fought back from three goals down to beat Los Angeles FC 4-3 on Saturday.

Ibrahimovic -- who only arrived in California on Thursday -- lashed home an imperious volley from 40 yards just six minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute to make it 3-3 at the StubHub Center.

The Swede then headed home Ashley Cole's cross in injury time to put Galaxy ahead in an extraordinary finale that lived up to the hype surrounding the veteran striker's arrival from Manchester United.

"If you look back, every team I played for, I scored in my first official game. I wasn’t going to let that stop today," a delighted Ibrahimovic said afterwards. "I heard the crowd saying 'We want Zlatan, we want Zlatan' And I gave them Zlatan," he added.&nbsp

Ibrahimovic's winner was the final act of a thrilling first ever derby between the Galaxy and expansion side LAFC, who had surged into a 3-0 lead early in the second half after two goals from Carlos Vela and an own goal from Daniel Steres.

Slack play from LAFC allowed Galaxy to pull a goal back through Sebastian Lletget in the 61st minute after dogged work from Servando Carrasco.

The home crowd then roared in appreciation in the 71st minute when Ibrahimovic made his entrance from the substitutes bench.

The 36-year-old star had an instant impact and was involved in the build-up which led to Galaxy's second goal, headed in by Chris Pontius from Emmanuel Boateng's cross.

Suddenly the Galaxy dared to dream of an improbable comeback, and when Ibrahimovic thundered home his equaliser on 77 minutes the home side had drawn level.

Los Angeles Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid hailed Ibrahimovic's "world class" second goal.

"Ibrahimovic is the perfect definition of a guy who always dares to be brilliant," Schmid said. "If you do that, you can pull off things. That's a goal that will go around the world."

- Last word -

LAFC had a chance to regain the lead when Costa Rican international Marco Urena hit the woodwork late on.

But instead it was Ibrahimovic who was determined to have the last word.&nbsp

Former Chelsea and England left-back Cole stormed forwards down the left flank and crossed into the area, and Ibrahimovic guided home the header to launch his MLS career in the most dramatic way possible.

Ibrahimovic had talked boldly on Friday of helping restore the Galaxy to their position of dominance in Major League Soccer after a dismal 2017 campaign that saw them finish bottom of the Western Conference.

However the scale of the task facing Ibrahimovic became apparent after only 26 minutes on Saturday, with Mexico striker Vela scoring twice to give LAFC a 2-0 lead that their dominant play deserved.

Vela drew first blood after only five minutes, picking up the ball on the edge of the area and curling a magnificent strike beyond the dive of Galaxy goalkeeper David Bingham to make it 1-0.

Los Angeles FC continued to dominate, pressing Galaxy aggressively and threatening in attack through the lively Vela, Costa Rican international Urena and Uruguayan youngster Diego Rossi.

Rossi almost doubled the LAFC lead in the 11th minute, flashing a low angled shot wide of the post.

But Los Angeles did not have to wait long for the second, with Vela beating Bingham before coolly taking his time to lift his shot into the goal off the underside of the bar.

On the bench, Ibrahimovic bowed his head in his hands, and it got worse when Steres turned in an own goal early in the second half to put LAFC 3-0 ahead.

However Ibrahimovic had other ideas soon after coming on as a substitute with just under 20 minutes remaining.

&nbsp

Zlatan Ibrahimovic announced his arrival in Major League Soccer with two goals on his debut including an injury-time winner

Zlatan Ibrahimovic announced his arrival in Major League Soccer with two goals on his debut including an injury-time winner as the Los Angeles Galaxy fought back from three goals down to beat Los Angeles FC 4-3 on Saturday. Ibrahimovic -- who only arrived in California on Thursday -- lashed home an imperious volley from 40 yards just six minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute to make it 3-3 at the StubHub Center. The Swede then headed home Ashley Cole's cross in injury time to put Galaxy ahead in an extraordinary finale that lived up to the hype surrounding the veteran striker's arrival from Manchester United. "If you look back, every team I played for, I scored in my first official game. I wasn’t going to let that stop today," a delighted Ibrahimovic said afterwards. "I heard the crowd saying 'We want Zlatan, we want Zlatan' And I gave them Zlatan," he added. Ibrahimovic's winner was the final act of a thrilling first ever derby between the Galaxy and expansion side LAFC, who had surged into a 3-0 lead early in the second half after two goals from Carlos Vela and an own goal from Daniel Steres. Slack play from LAFC allowed Galaxy to pull a goal back through Sebastian Lletget in the 61st minute after dogged work from Servando Carrasco. The home crowd then roared in appreciation in the 71st minute when Ibrahimovic made his entrance from the substitutes bench. The 36-year-old star had an instant impact and was involved in the build-up which led to Galaxy's second goal, headed in by Chris Pontius from Emmanuel Boateng's cross. Suddenly the Galaxy dared to dream of an improbable comeback, and when Ibrahimovic thundered home his equaliser on 77 minutes the home side had drawn level. Los Angeles Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid hailed Ibrahimovic's "world class" second goal. "Ibrahimovic is the perfect definition of a guy who always dares to be brilliant," Schmid said. "If you do that, you can pull off things. That's a goal that will go around the world." - Last word - LAFC had a chance to regain the lead when Costa Rican international Marco Urena hit the woodwork late on. But instead it was Ibrahimovic who was determined to have the last word. Former Chelsea and England left-back Cole stormed forwards down the left flank and crossed into the area, and Ibrahimovic guided home the header to launch his MLS career in the most dramatic way possible. Ibrahimovic had talked boldly on Friday of helping restore the Galaxy to their position of dominance in Major League Soccer after a dismal 2017 campaign that saw them finish bottom of the Western Conference. However the scale of the task facing Ibrahimovic became apparent after only 26 minutes on Saturday, with Mexico striker Vela scoring twice to give LAFC a 2-0 lead that their dominant play deserved. Vela drew first blood after only five minutes, picking up the ball on the edge of the area and curling a magnificent strike beyond the dive of Galaxy goalkeeper David Bingham to make it 1-0. Los Angeles FC continued to dominate, pressing Galaxy aggressively and threatening in attack through the lively Vela, Costa Rican international Urena and Uruguayan youngster Diego Rossi. Rossi almost doubled the LAFC lead in the 11th minute, flashing a low angled shot wide of the post. But Los Angeles did not have to wait long for the second, with Vela beating Bingham before coolly taking his time to lift his shot into the goal off the underside of the bar. On the bench, Ibrahimovic bowed his head in his hands, and it got worse when Steres turned in an own goal early in the second half to put LAFC 3-0 ahead. However Ibrahimovic had other ideas soon after coming on as a substitute with just under 20 minutes remaining.

Ibra-magic prevails: Zlatan strikes twice to seal Galaxy victory against Los Angeles FC

Zlatan Ibrahimovic likened himself to Benjamin Button as he played down concerns about what kind of impact he will have on the&nbspMLS&nbspat the age of 36 by declaring “I was born old and I will die young” during his unveiling at LA Galaxy on Friday.

The Swedish striker left Manchester United to join the&nbspMLS&nbspside in what many believe will be the final stop in an illustrious career which has spanned almost two decades.

During this time, he has enjoyed stints with European heavyweights Ajax Amsterdam, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan and Paris St Germain.

But just in case fans and pundits thought that Ibrahimovic had turned up in California to get an easy paycheck at the twilight of his career, and without doing much work, he dispelled the suggestion.

“I feel young, I feel like Benjamin Button. I was born old and I will die young,” he said comparing himself to the fictitious character who ages in reverse.

“Don’t worry about my age… When I came to England they all said I was old. I came in a wheelchair and after three months I conquered England. Then they said I was flying.”

“So I know what I’m able to do, I know what I will do, and I came here to win,” added Sweden’s all-time leading scorer.

Ibrahimovic, who has amassed an Aladdin’s cave of silverware that includes 11 league titles in four European countries, is Galaxy’s biggest foreign acquisition since David Beckham in 2007.

But even though his trophy cabinet is close to bursting, the man who calls himself “a lion” is determined to add some more prizes to his collection while sprinkling some stardust on the&nbspMLS.

“Tomorrow is a big game and I’m already involved so I feel excited,” Ibrahimovic told a news conference ahead of Saturday’s match against new cross town rivals Los Angeles FC.

“The Lion is hungry.”

He made himself available to play on Saturday despite working his way back from a knee injury that kept him sidelined for part of his two-year tenure at Manchester United.

Ibrahimovic said he has been drawn to Los Angeles for years and had expected to join Galaxy prior to his move to United, but the deal fell through.

He said a dinner with Beckham convinced him to make the move.

“I was asking him, ‘How is it? How was it for him?’ And he was only positive,” said the Swede.

“And I just got a message from David that said, ‘Just enjoy’.”

Ibrahimovic said he plans to leave his mark on young soccer fans in Los Angeles who may not be familiar with his career so far.

“If they don’t know me, I will make sure that they know me,” he said with a grin.

“I hope I am a good example for them and that they do it, but that they do it even better than me.”

The Swedish striker left Manchester United to join the MLS side

Zlatan Ibrahimovic likened himself to Benjamin Button as he played down concerns about what kind of impact he will have on the&nbspMLS&nbspat the age of 36 by declaring “I was born old and I will die young” during his unveiling at LA Galaxy on Friday. The Swedish striker left Manchester United to join the&nbspMLS&nbspside in what many believe will be the final stop in an illustrious career which has spanned almost two decades. During this time, he has enjoyed stints with European heavyweights Ajax Amsterdam, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan and Paris St Germain. But just in case fans and pundits thought that Ibrahimovic had turned up in California to get an easy paycheck at the twilight of his career, and without doing much work, he dispelled the suggestion. “I feel young, I feel like Benjamin Button. I was born old and I will die young,” he said comparing himself to the fictitious character who ages in reverse. “Don’t worry about my age… When I came to England they all said I was old. I came in a wheelchair and after three months I conquered England. Then they said I was flying.” “So I know what I’m able to do, I know what I will do, and I came here to win,” added Sweden’s all-time leading scorer. Ibrahimovic, who has amassed an Aladdin’s cave of silverware that includes 11 league titles in four European countries, is Galaxy’s biggest foreign acquisition since David Beckham in 2007. But even though his trophy cabinet is close to bursting, the man who calls himself “a lion” is determined to add some more prizes to his collection while sprinkling some stardust on the&nbspMLS. “Tomorrow is a big game and I’m already involved so I feel excited,” Ibrahimovic told a news conference ahead of Saturday’s match against new cross town rivals Los Angeles FC. “The Lion is hungry.” He made himself available to play on Saturday despite working his way back from a knee injury that kept him sidelined for part of his two-year tenure at Manchester United. Ibrahimovic said he has been drawn to Los Angeles for years and had expected to join Galaxy prior to his move to United, but the deal fell through. He said a dinner with Beckham convinced him to make the move. “I was asking him, ‘How is it? How was it for him?’ And he was only positive,” said the Swede. “And I just got a message from David that said, ‘Just enjoy’.” Ibrahimovic said he plans to leave his mark on young soccer fans in Los Angeles who may not be familiar with his career so far. “If they don’t know me, I will make sure that they know me,” he said with a grin. “I hope I am a good example for them and that they do it, but that they do it even better than me.”

'Benjamin Button' Ibrahimovic ready to make his mark with LA Galaxy

European soccer has lost a "huge player" in Zlatan Ibrahimovic but the striker will raise the level of the game in the U.S following his move to LA Galaxy, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said on Friday.

Ibrahimovic last week ended a short but successful stint at United - where he won the League Cup and the Europa League - to become the latest high-profile player to move to the MLS, following the likes of David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Thierry Henry and Frank Lampard.

Mourinho used his news conference ahead of Saturday`s Premier League game against Swansea City to pay tribute to the talismanic Swedish forward who he previously coached at Inter Milan.

"For me it`s always sad when the big players move towards the end," Mourinho told reporters.&nbsp

"I remember Luis Figo`s last match with me and Inter, it was one of my saddest moments. The Zlatan goodbye was more in that direction, he`s a huge player that European Football has lost.

"But this period with LA Galaxy will be very good for him, he will be good for American football, because of what he can do his personality, his passion and his professionalism."

Ibrahimovic sustained a bad knee injury in United`s Europa League quarter-final against Belgian side Anderlecht last April but returned to make seven appearances for the Old Trafford side this season.

"His recovery was an example of what a professional should be," Mourinho added. "For him (the move to U.S.) will just be a way to enjoy the last couple of years of football."

United will be without back-up goalkeeper Sergio Romero for the weekend`s game, after the Argentine international picked up a knock in his country`s 6-1 friendly defeat by Spain.

Ashley Young was also injured on international duty with England but could play against Carlos Carvalhal`s 14th-placed side.&nbsp

United are second in the table on 65 points from 30 games as they bid to finish as runners-up to champions-elect Manchester City.

Ibrahimovic last week ended a short but successful stint at United

European soccer has lost a "huge player" in Zlatan Ibrahimovic but the striker will raise the level of the game in the U.S following his move to LA Galaxy, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said on Friday. Ibrahimovic last week ended a short but successful stint at United - where he won the League Cup and the Europa League - to become the latest high-profile player to move to the MLS, following the likes of David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Thierry Henry and Frank Lampard. Mourinho used his news conference ahead of Saturday`s Premier League game against Swansea City to pay tribute to the talismanic Swedish forward who he previously coached at Inter Milan. "For me it`s always sad when the big players move towards the end," Mourinho told reporters. "I remember Luis Figo`s last match with me and Inter, it was one of my saddest moments. The Zlatan goodbye was more in that direction, he`s a huge player that European Football has lost. "But this period with LA Galaxy will be very good for him, he will be good for American football, because of what he can do his personality, his passion and his professionalism." Ibrahimovic sustained a bad knee injury in United`s Europa League quarter-final against Belgian side Anderlecht last April but returned to make seven appearances for the Old Trafford side this season. "His recovery was an example of what a professional should be," Mourinho added. "For him (the move to U.S.) will just be a way to enjoy the last couple of years of football." United will be without back-up goalkeeper Sergio Romero for the weekend`s game, after the Argentine international picked up a knock in his country`s 6-1 friendly defeat by Spain. Ashley Young was also injured on international duty with England but could play against Carlos Carvalhal`s 14th-placed side. United are second in the table on 65 points from 30 games as they bid to finish as runners-up to champions-elect Manchester City.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic departure a big loss for European soccer: Mourinho

Zlatan Ibrahimovic said farewell to Manchester United on Thursday after the Premier League club agreed to terminate the Swedish striker&#39;s contract ahead of an expected move to Los Angeles Galaxy.

&quot;Manchester United confirms that it has agreed to the termination of Zlatan Ibrahimovic&rsquo;s contract with immediate effect,&quot; United said in a statement.

&quot;Everyone at the club would like to thank Zlatan for his contribution to the team since his arrival and wishes him well for the future,&quot; they said on their website. (http://www.manutd.com)

The 36-year-old, Sweden&#39;s record scorer with 62 goals in 116 games, has been linked with a move to the US&nbsp;for some time as he looks to write another chapter in his glittering club career.

&quot;Great things also come to an end and it is time to move on after two fantastic seasons with Manchester United,&quot; he said in a message to his 30 million followers on Instagram.

&quot;Thank you to the club, the fans, the team, the coach (Jose Mourinho), the staff and everybody who shared with me this part of my history. #foreverred.&quot;

His former Sweden team mates said the striker would shine in Major League Soccer if he did join LA Galaxy.

&quot;It would be fun for them to get him over there and it&#39;s always fun to see Zlatan play football,&quot; Sweden defender Pontus Jansson, who like Ibrahimovic started his professional career at Swedish club Malmo FF, told reporters on Thursday.

&quot;I haven&#39;t seen Zlatan play in a long time, he&#39;s had problems with injuries, but this will be a good start for him to get playing again,&quot; Jansson said as he prepared for Sweden&#39;s World Cup warm-up games starting this weekend.

&quot;It&#39;s fun to see Zlatan take the step to the MLS and make the league even more attractive and bigger,&quot; added Sweden striker Ola Toivonen.

LEAGUE TITLES

Ibrahimovic left Malmo to join Ajax Amsterdam, where he won the domestic championship, before moving to Juventus.

In a career at many of Europe&#39;s leading clubs Ibrahimovic won league titles with Inter Milan and AC Milan, Spanish giants Barcelona and Ligue 1 side Paris Saint Germain before linking up with his former Inter coach Jose Mourinho at Manchester United.

Despite his age, Ibrahimovic showed that he could cope with the rough-and-tumble of England&#39;s Premier League.

Ibra scored 28 goals in all competitions in his first season at United before sustaining a serious knee injury in April while playing in the Europa League against Belgian side Anderlecht.

Despite the injury he was re-signed by United at the end of the season and returned to competitive action in November, making his last appearance for the club on Dec. 26 against Burnley before injury struck again.

&quot;You&rsquo;ll be missed Lion, wish you all the best,&quot; said United team-mate Paul Pogba on Twitter.

Ibrahimovic now seems likely to follows in the footsteps of former United great David Beckham, who helped bring Galaxy and the MLS to global prominence when he joined the club in 2007.

Ibrahimovic&#39;s commercial interests include his own clothing line and a recent deal with electronics firm Samsung to test new products and a move to the United States would be logical as he approaches the final years of his playing career.

&quot;Zlatan has started to think more and more about his brand, and it&#39;s time to take over the U.S. now. It&#39;s always fun to see Zlatan play, I&#39;m happy for him,&quot; Pontus Jansson said.

Galaxy are expected to confirm his signing on Friday.

The 36-year-old, Sweden's record scorer with 62 goals in 116 games, has been linked with a move to the US for some time as he looks to write another chapter in his glittering club career.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic said farewell to Manchester United on Thursday after the Premier League club agreed to terminate the Swedish striker's contract ahead of an expected move to Los Angeles Galaxy. "Manchester United confirms that it has agreed to the termination of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s contract with immediate effect," United said in a statement. "Everyone at the club would like to thank Zlatan for his contribution to the team since his arrival and wishes him well for the future," they said on their website. (http://www.manutd.com) The 36-year-old, Sweden's record scorer with 62 goals in 116 games, has been linked with a move to the US for some time as he looks to write another chapter in his glittering club career. "Great things also come to an end and it is time to move on after two fantastic seasons with Manchester United," he said in a message to his 30 million followers on Instagram. "Thank you to the club, the fans, the team, the coach (Jose Mourinho), the staff and everybody who shared with me this part of my history. #foreverred." His former Sweden team mates said the striker would shine in Major League Soccer if he did join LA Galaxy. "It would be fun for them to get him over there and it's always fun to see Zlatan play football," Sweden defender Pontus Jansson, who like Ibrahimovic started his professional career at Swedish club Malmo FF, told reporters on Thursday. "I haven't seen Zlatan play in a long time, he's had problems with injuries, but this will be a good start for him to get playing again," Jansson said as he prepared for Sweden's World Cup warm-up games starting this weekend. "It's fun to see Zlatan take the step to the MLS and make the league even more attractive and bigger," added Sweden striker Ola Toivonen. LEAGUE TITLES Ibrahimovic left Malmo to join Ajax Amsterdam, where he won the domestic championship, before moving to Juventus. In a career at many of Europe's leading clubs Ibrahimovic won league titles with Inter Milan and AC Milan, Spanish giants Barcelona and Ligue 1 side Paris Saint Germain before linking up with his former Inter coach Jose Mourinho at Manchester United. Despite his age, Ibrahimovic showed that he could cope with the rough-and-tumble of England's Premier League. Ibra scored 28 goals in all competitions in his first season at United before sustaining a serious knee injury in April while playing in the Europa League against Belgian side Anderlecht. Despite the injury he was re-signed by United at the end of the season and returned to competitive action in November, making his last appearance for the club on Dec. 26 against Burnley before injury struck again. "You’ll be missed Lion, wish you all the best," said United team-mate Paul Pogba on Twitter. Ibrahimovic now seems likely to follows in the footsteps of former United great David Beckham, who helped bring Galaxy and the MLS to global prominence when he joined the club in 2007. Ibrahimovic's commercial interests include his own clothing line and a recent deal with electronics firm Samsung to test new products and a move to the United States would be logical as he approaches the final years of his playing career. "Zlatan has started to think more and more about his brand, and it's time to take over the U.S. now. It's always fun to see Zlatan play, I'm happy for him," Pontus Jansson said. Galaxy are expected to confirm his signing on Friday.

Football: Ibrahimovic says farewell to Manchester United ahead of US move

Zlatan Ibrahimovic&#39;s magical season with Manchester United appears over after the club announced he had suffered a serious knee injury in Thursday&#39;s Europa League clash with Anderlecht.

The club revealed that both the 35-year-old Swedish striker and Argentinian defender Marco Rojo had suffered knee injuries in the same match.

&quot;Detailed investigations on the injuries sustained by Marcos Rojo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic during Thursday&#39;s Europa League match have confirmed significant knee ligament damage in both players that requires specialist opinions over the coming days,&quot; read the United statement on their website.

&quot;Estimations of time to full recovery will only be possible once definitive treatment plans have been decided after these consultations.&quot;

Ibrahimovic didn&#39;t have his finest game agianst Anderlecht -- Marcus Rashford edging United through to the semi-finals on aggregate after extra-time -- but his goals this season have been the main reason for an improvement in the club&#39;s fortunes, albeit without ever being title challengers.

Ibrahimovic has defied many doubters since joining on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain last year, scoring 28 goals and inspiring United to victory in the League Cup.

Rojo&#39;s injury is also a serious bodyblow to United&#39;s depleted resources at the back with both England international central defenders Phil Jones and Chris Smalling expected to be out till mid May.

(AFP)

Marcos Rojo's injury is also a serious body blow to United's depleted resources at the back

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's magical season with Manchester United appears over after the club announced he had suffered a serious knee injury in Thursday's Europa League clash with Anderlecht. The club revealed that both the 35-year-old Swedish striker and Argentinian defender Marco Rojo had suffered knee injuries in the same match. "Detailed investigations on the injuries sustained by Marcos Rojo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic during Thursday's Europa League match have confirmed significant knee ligament damage in both players that requires specialist opinions over the coming days," read the United statement on their website. "Estimations of time to full recovery will only be possible once definitive treatment plans have been decided after these consultations." Ibrahimovic didn't have his finest game agianst Anderlecht -- Marcus Rashford edging United through to the semi-finals on aggregate after extra-time -- but his goals this season have been the main reason for an improvement in the club's fortunes, albeit without ever being title challengers. Ibrahimovic has defied many doubters since joining on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain last year, scoring 28 goals and inspiring United to victory in the League Cup. Rojo's injury is also a serious bodyblow to United's depleted resources at the back with both England international central defenders Phil Jones and Chris Smalling expected to be out till mid May. (AFP)

Man United's Ibrahimovic suffers 'significant knee ligament damage'

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is likely to face disciplinary action after appearing to elbow Bournemouth&#39;s Tyrone Mings during Saturday&#39;s fiery 1-1 draw in the Premier League.

Mings appeared to stamp on Ibrahimovic&#39;s head with his left foot as he jumped over him late in the first half and the Swedish striker seemed to elbow him in retaliation moments later.

Ibrahimovic, who also squandered a penalty, told BBC Sport: &quot;You have the TV, you can see the images. I jump up and jump high and he (Mings) jumps into my elbow. It is not my intention to hurt someone.&quot;

Elsewhere, champions Leicester City continued their smooth adaptation to life after Claudio Ranieri by winning 3-1 at home to fellow strugglers Hull City.

Marcos Rojo put United ahead in the 23rd minute at Old Trafford, but Joshua King levelled from the spot five minutes before half-time following a foul on Marc Pugh by Phil Jones.

Adam Smith&#39;s handball gave Ibrahimovic a chance to restore United&#39;s lead from the penalty spot, but his spot-kick was brilliantly palmed away by Bournemouth goalkeeper Artur Boruc.

Victory would have taken United into the Champions League places, but they remain sixth, a position they have occupied since November.

Jose Mourinho&#39;s side could lose ground in the race for Champions League qualification later on Saturday when fifth-place Liverpool welcome fourth-place Arsenal to Anfield.

Ibrahimovic was already on a booking when he tangled with Mings, but both players avoided punishment, raising the prospect of violent conduct charges from the Football Association.

The standard punishment for violent conduct in the Premier League is a three-game ban.

United captain Wayne Rooney felt Mings&#39;s stamp had been deliberate, saying: &quot;There&#39;s no place for it and I&#39;m sure there will be punishment for it after the game.&quot;

But Mings, whose side remain 14th, said the contact with Ibrahimovic had been accidental.

&quot;I would never do that. That&#39;s not in my game,&quot; Mings said. &quot;Hard and fair is how I like to tackle, but off-the-ball stuff like that isn&#39;t part of my game.&quot;

Boro into drop zone&nbsp;

Referee Kevin Friend also sent off Bournemouth&#39;s Andy Surman for two bookable offences, although he had to be reminded by United left-back Luke Shaw that the midfielder had already been booked.

United manager Mourinho said Friend had been &quot;very good&quot;.

&quot;Who can I blame?&quot; Mourinho said. &quot;Ourselves. Nobody else. We missed big chances.&quot;

Leicester&#39;s resurgence continued as they beat Hull 3-1 to pull five points clear of the relegation zone.

The champions beat Liverpool 3-1 last Monday in their first game since the sacking of popular manager Ranieri and caretaker coach Craig Shakespeare saw them record back-to-back wins for the first time since last April.

Sam Clucas gave Hull a 14th-minute lead, but Leicester stormed back to win through strikes from Christian Fuchs and Riyad Mahrez and a Tom Huddlestone own goal.

&quot;Results give players confidence,&quot; said Shakespeare. &quot;Back-to-back wins will give confidence for the last 11 games of the season.

&quot;Everyone looked at the game against Liverpool on Monday and to get the three points under pressure was important, but to back that up with another win was vitally important.&quot;

Hull are now four points from safety and they were joined in the bottom three by Middlesbrough, who fell to two Marko Arnautovic goals in a 2-0 defeat at Stoke City.

Swansea City also pulled five points clear of the bottom three after Fernando Llorente&#39;s 92nd-minute header gave Paul Clement&#39;s improving side a precious 3-2 win at home to Burnley.

Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend struck in the second half as Sam Allardyce&#39;s Crystal Palace moved three points clear of danger with a 2-0 success at West Bromwich Albion.

Meanwhile, Manolo Gabbiadini scored his sixth goal in four games as Southampton bounced back from last weekend&#39;s League Cup final loss to United by winning 4-3 in an entertaining game at Watford.

(AFP)

Manchester United's profligacy in front of goal denied them the opportunity to move back into the top four in months

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is likely to face disciplinary action after appearing to elbow Bournemouth's Tyrone Mings during Saturday's fiery 1-1 draw in the Premier League. Mings appeared to stamp on Ibrahimovic's head with his left foot as he jumped over him late in the first half and the Swedish striker seemed to elbow him in retaliation moments later. Ibrahimovic, who also squandered a penalty, told BBC Sport: "You have the TV, you can see the images. I jump up and jump high and he (Mings) jumps into my elbow. It is not my intention to hurt someone." Elsewhere, champions Leicester City continued their smooth adaptation to life after Claudio Ranieri by winning 3-1 at home to fellow strugglers Hull City. Marcos Rojo put United ahead in the 23rd minute at Old Trafford, but Joshua King levelled from the spot five minutes before half-time following a foul on Marc Pugh by Phil Jones. Adam Smith's handball gave Ibrahimovic a chance to restore United's lead from the penalty spot, but his spot-kick was brilliantly palmed away by Bournemouth goalkeeper Artur Boruc. Victory would have taken United into the Champions League places, but they remain sixth, a position they have occupied since November. Jose Mourinho's side could lose ground in the race for Champions League qualification later on Saturday when fifth-place Liverpool welcome fourth-place Arsenal to Anfield. Ibrahimovic was already on a booking when he tangled with Mings, but both players avoided punishment, raising the prospect of violent conduct charges from the Football Association. The standard punishment for violent conduct in the Premier League is a three-game ban. United captain Wayne Rooney felt Mings's stamp had been deliberate, saying: "There's no place for it and I'm sure there will be punishment for it after the game." But Mings, whose side remain 14th, said the contact with Ibrahimovic had been accidental. "I would never do that. That's not in my game," Mings said. "Hard and fair is how I like to tackle, but off-the-ball stuff like that isn't part of my game." Boro into drop zone Referee Kevin Friend also sent off Bournemouth's Andy Surman for two bookable offences, although he had to be reminded by United left-back Luke Shaw that the midfielder had already been booked. United manager Mourinho said Friend had been "very good". "Who can I blame?" Mourinho said. "Ourselves. Nobody else. We missed big chances." Leicester's resurgence continued as they beat Hull 3-1 to pull five points clear of the relegation zone. The champions beat Liverpool 3-1 last Monday in their first game since the sacking of popular manager Ranieri and caretaker coach Craig Shakespeare saw them record back-to-back wins for the first time since last April. Sam Clucas gave Hull a 14th-minute lead, but Leicester stormed back to win through strikes from Christian Fuchs and Riyad Mahrez and a Tom Huddlestone own goal. "Results give players confidence," said Shakespeare. "Back-to-back wins will give confidence for the last 11 games of the season. "Everyone looked at the game against Liverpool on Monday and to get the three points under pressure was important, but to back that up with another win was vitally important." Hull are now four points from safety and they were joined in the bottom three by Middlesbrough, who fell to two Marko Arnautovic goals in a 2-0 defeat at Stoke City. Swansea City also pulled five points clear of the bottom three after Fernando Llorente's 92nd-minute header gave Paul Clement's improving side a precious 3-2 win at home to Burnley. Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend struck in the second half as Sam Allardyce's Crystal Palace moved three points clear of danger with a 2-0 success at West Bromwich Albion. Meanwhile, Manolo Gabbiadini scored his sixth goal in four games as Southampton bounced back from last weekend's League Cup final loss to United by winning 4-3 in an entertaining game at Watford. (AFP)

Manchester United held at home by Bournemouth, Leicester continue resurgence

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is looking forward to working with Zlatan Ibrahimovic again next season after declaring the striker&#39;s contract extension will be a formality.

Ibrahimovic 35, arrived from Paris Saint-Germain in July on a one-year deal with an option for a further year, which Mourinho in November indicated United would look to take up.

After Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored once and made two goals in United&#39;s 3-1 Boxing Day win over Sunderland, Mourinho said the clause had not been activated yet, but would be.

&quot;It is activated in his brain and it is activated also in my decisions and in the owners&#39; and the board&#39;s. So it is no problem,&quot; said Mourinho.

Ibrahimovic&#39;s goal against Sunderland means that he has scored 50 times across all competitions for club and country during 2016, the year he retired from international football with Sweden.

&quot;I am not really surprised because he is a very intelligent guy and a very proud man,&quot; Mourinho said.

&quot;He decided to come to Manchester United and to the Premier League, to a club with the level of expectation of Manchester United, in the most difficult league in the world for a striker.

&quot;When he decides to come here, it is because he knows he can do it.

&quot;When we contacted him and he said, yes, he will come, I was sure that he was not coming here to leave the Premier League without proving himself.

&quot;To leave the Premier League having failed at Manchester United? No way.

&quot;When such a guy decided to come, I was completely clear that he would be ready and he is ready for more next season. He will be here again.&quot;

Ibrahimovic set up Daley Blind to put United ahead in the 39th minute and then ran through to score from Paul Pogba&#39;s pass before setting up Henrikh Mkhitaryan for a spectacular &#39;scorpion kick&#39; volley.

United secured a fourth successive Premier League win, and extended their unbeaten record in all competitions to 11 matches, in the absence of captain Wayne Rooney.

The United captain was withdrawn from the squad after suffering a thigh muscle injury in training.

&nbsp;Relegation tussle&nbsp; 
Mourinho said the England captain was a doubt for United&#39;s home match against Middlesbrough on New Year&#39;s Eve.

Asked if Rooney would be fit, Mourinho said: &quot;I don&#39;t think so. I hope so. I would like him to be.

&quot;He is always a player I would like to be available. Let&#39;s see. It is not a big deal, but in four days, I have my doubts.&quot;

Sunderland manager David Moyes suffered defeat on his first return to Old Trafford since United sacked him in April 2014.

Moyes, whose team remain in the Premier League relegation zone, said he enjoyed his return, despite the publicity that surrounded him in the days before the fixture.

&quot;When you are in football, what comes around goes around,&quot; said the Scot, whose team replied through Fabio Borini&#39;s long-range effort.

&quot;I knew that some day I would come up against the Manchester United players or work with some of them.

&quot;I think that&#39;s what happens when you&#39;re in football. I enjoyed coming back. I have always enjoyed coming here. It&#39;s a hard place to come, a hard place to get a result, and that showed today.&quot;

From chasing titles at Old Trafford, Moyes now finds himself locked in a relegation tussle with Sunderland, who lie two points from safety.

&quot;We are going to have to try to galvanise from within,&quot; said the former Preston North End, Everton and Real Sociedad manager.

&quot;It is not a situation I am necessarily used to, but some of the players are used to it here.

&quot;I hope together we can find a way of being good enough and strong enough in the games that really matter.

&quot;Did this game matter? It definitely mattered. But there will be games maybe more so that will be important for us.&quot;

(AFP)

Jose Mourinho said he looked forward to working with Zlatan Ibrahimovic again next season and extending the contract is just a formality

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is looking forward to working with Zlatan Ibrahimovic again next season after declaring the striker's contract extension will be a formality. Ibrahimovic 35, arrived from Paris Saint-Germain in July on a one-year deal with an option for a further year, which Mourinho in November indicated United would look to take up. After Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored once and made two goals in United's 3-1 Boxing Day win over Sunderland, Mourinho said the clause had not been activated yet, but would be. "It is activated in his brain and it is activated also in my decisions and in the owners' and the board's. So it is no problem," said Mourinho. Ibrahimovic's goal against Sunderland means that he has scored 50 times across all competitions for club and country during 2016, the year he retired from international football with Sweden. "I am not really surprised because he is a very intelligent guy and a very proud man," Mourinho said. "He decided to come to Manchester United and to the Premier League, to a club with the level of expectation of Manchester United, in the most difficult league in the world for a striker. "When he decides to come here, it is because he knows he can do it. "When we contacted him and he said, yes, he will come, I was sure that he was not coming here to leave the Premier League without proving himself. "To leave the Premier League having failed at Manchester United? No way. "When such a guy decided to come, I was completely clear that he would be ready and he is ready for more next season. He will be here again." Ibrahimovic set up Daley Blind to put United ahead in the 39th minute and then ran through to score from Paul Pogba's pass before setting up Henrikh Mkhitaryan for a spectacular 'scorpion kick' volley. United secured a fourth successive Premier League win, and extended their unbeaten record in all competitions to 11 matches, in the absence of captain Wayne Rooney. The United captain was withdrawn from the squad after suffering a thigh muscle injury in training. Relegation tussle Mourinho said the England captain was a doubt for United's home match against Middlesbrough on New Year's Eve. Asked if Rooney would be fit, Mourinho said: "I don't think so. I hope so. I would like him to be. "He is always a player I would like to be available. Let's see. It is not a big deal, but in four days, I have my doubts." Sunderland manager David Moyes suffered defeat on his first return to Old Trafford since United sacked him in April 2014. Moyes, whose team remain in the Premier League relegation zone, said he enjoyed his return, despite the publicity that surrounded him in the days before the fixture. "When you are in football, what comes around goes around," said the Scot, whose team replied through Fabio Borini's long-range effort. "I knew that some day I would come up against the Manchester United players or work with some of them. "I think that's what happens when you're in football. I enjoyed coming back. I have always enjoyed coming here. It's a hard place to come, a hard place to get a result, and that showed today." From chasing titles at Old Trafford, Moyes now finds himself locked in a relegation tussle with Sunderland, who lie two points from safety. "We are going to have to try to galvanise from within," said the former Preston North End, Everton and Real Sociedad manager. "It is not a situation I am necessarily used to, but some of the players are used to it here. "I hope together we can find a way of being good enough and strong enough in the games that really matter. "Did this game matter? It definitely mattered. But there will be games maybe more so that will be important for us." (AFP)

Football: Ibra won't leave Man Utd a failure, vows Mourinho

Zlatan Ibrahimovic said today&nbsp;that he is joining Manchester United, ending intense speculation about where the 34-year-old Swedish superstar forward will be playing next season.

Ibrahimovic, who was a free agent after ending a hugely successful stay at Paris Saint-Germain, becomes the second signing of new United boss Jose Mourinho after that of highly rated Ivory Coast centre-back Eric Bailly from the Spanish outfit Villarreal.

&quot;Time to let the world know. My next destination is Manchester United,&quot; he wrote on Instagram and Facebook, complete with a picture of the United badge, as comments approving of the move,&nbsp;one of the biggest of the summer so far,&nbsp;flooded in.

Ibrahimovic reunites with Mourinho, after they enjoyed a good relationship while together at Italians Inter Milan, in what is likely to be the last major move in a career spanning five countries, starting with Malmo.

The towering Swede, who hit 62 goals in 116 international matches, had toyed with questioners for weeks about where he would be going and it will be his first time playing in the Premier League.

Ibrahimovic, who quit international football after Sweden crashed out of Euro 2016, has also played at Ajax, Juventus, Barcelona and AC Milan during a career in which he has become as well known for his colourful personality as his prowess in front of goal.

He had also been linked with a return to AC Milan and his agent had suggested that Major League Soccer in the United States was another potential destination. 
 
Mourinho means &#39;action&#39;&nbsp;

Ibrahimovic will bolster a forward line at Old Trafford that looked desperately short of ideas, depth and talent last season under Louis van Gaal.

Wayne Rooney could well play deeper next season, in midfield, while French starlet Anthony Martial had to carry the United attack despite his tender years until youngster Marcus Rashford burst onto the scene late on in the campaign.

Van Gaal paid out heavily for his fellow Dutchman Memphis Depay, but he failed to deliver and spent the second half of the season on the bench.

Ibrahimovic said weeks ago that he knew where he would be playing football next season, but kept the football world guessing -- typical of his mercurial personality.

&quot;Yes, I have made my choice,&quot; Ibrahimovic tantalisingly told a press conference at a training camp near Stockholm for the Swedish national team ahead of Euro 2016.

He said then that he had decided &quot;long ago&quot; but dodged all questions about whether that team was Manchester United, where Mourinho has replaced van Gaal after the Dutchman&#39;s troubled two-year reign at Old Trafford came to a bitter end.

Asked a direct question about whether he had received an offer from United, Ibrahimovic&#39;s hesitancy in answering spoke volumes.

He drummed his fingers on the table, smiled and eventually replied: &quot;Let&#39;s see what happens.&quot;

&quot;There are concrete offers from England, Italy... all countries. There are even some from outside Europe,&quot; he said.

&quot;There are many, many alternatives.&quot;

But when asked whether he was tempted to work again with Mourinho, Ibrahimovic said only that they had worked well together at Inter Milan, where the Swede played from 2006 to 2009.

&quot;You want action, you bring Mourinho. I believe he&#39;s the man to bring them back to the top. Wherever he went he won,&quot; the Swede said of Mourinho taking over at United, where he will be tasked with bringing back the glory days sorely missing under van Gaal.

There was no immediate word from United on Ibrahimovic. 
 
(AFP)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic will play under new United manager Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford

Zlatan Ibrahimovic said today that he is joining Manchester United, ending intense speculation about where the 34-year-old Swedish superstar forward will be playing next season. Ibrahimovic, who was a free agent after ending a hugely successful stay at Paris Saint-Germain, becomes the second signing of new United boss Jose Mourinho after that of highly rated Ivory Coast centre-back Eric Bailly from the Spanish outfit Villarreal. "Time to let the world know. My next destination is Manchester United," he wrote on Instagram and Facebook, complete with a picture of the United badge, as comments approving of the move, one of the biggest of the summer so far, flooded in. Ibrahimovic reunites with Mourinho, after they enjoyed a good relationship while together at Italians Inter Milan, in what is likely to be the last major move in a career spanning five countries, starting with Malmo. The towering Swede, who hit 62 goals in 116 international matches, had toyed with questioners for weeks about where he would be going and it will be his first time playing in the Premier League. Ibrahimovic, who quit international football after Sweden crashed out of Euro 2016, has also played at Ajax, Juventus, Barcelona and AC Milan during a career in which he has become as well known for his colourful personality as his prowess in front of goal. He had also been linked with a return to AC Milan and his agent had suggested that Major League Soccer in the United States was another potential destination. Mourinho means 'action' Ibrahimovic will bolster a forward line at Old Trafford that looked desperately short of ideas, depth and talent last season under Louis van Gaal. Wayne Rooney could well play deeper next season, in midfield, while French starlet Anthony Martial had to carry the United attack despite his tender years until youngster Marcus Rashford burst onto the scene late on in the campaign. Van Gaal paid out heavily for his fellow Dutchman Memphis Depay, but he failed to deliver and spent the second half of the season on the bench. Ibrahimovic said weeks ago that he knew where he would be playing football next season, but kept the football world guessing -- typical of his mercurial personality. "Yes, I have made my choice," Ibrahimovic tantalisingly told a press conference at a training camp near Stockholm for the Swedish national team ahead of Euro 2016. He said then that he had decided "long ago" but dodged all questions about whether that team was Manchester United, where Mourinho has replaced van Gaal after the Dutchman's troubled two-year reign at Old Trafford came to a bitter end. Asked a direct question about whether he had received an offer from United, Ibrahimovic's hesitancy in answering spoke volumes. He drummed his fingers on the table, smiled and eventually replied: "Let's see what happens." "There are concrete offers from England, Italy... all countries. There are even some from outside Europe," he said. "There are many, many alternatives." But when asked whether he was tempted to work again with Mourinho, Ibrahimovic said only that they had worked well together at Inter Milan, where the Swede played from 2006 to 2009. "You want action, you bring Mourinho. I believe he's the man to bring them back to the top. Wherever he went he won," the Swede said of Mourinho taking over at United, where he will be tasked with bringing back the glory days sorely missing under van Gaal. There was no immediate word from United on Ibrahimovic. (AFP)

Ibrahimovic says he is joining Manchester United

A late goal by Premier League target Radja Nainggolan earned Belgium a last-16 berth with a 1-0 win over Sweden ending superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic&#39;s international career with a defeat. 
 
The Roma midfielder, reportedly wanted by Chelsea, controlled a cross from Eden Hazard outside the area and powered it into the net in the 82nd minute. 
 
After a poor display against Italy in their group opener, Belgium now take on Hungary in Toulouse on June 26 with the momentum of two wins behind them. 
 
&quot;We have got better since the Italy game, kept two clean sheets in a row,&quot; said Marc Wilmots, Belgium&#39;s coach. 
 
&quot;It will be a complicated game, we watched the last minutes of their game against Portugal, Hungary leave 200 per cent on the field,&quot; said Belgium skipper Eden Hazard who was awarded man-of-the-match. 
 
There was to be no salvation for Sweden, nor one more game for Ibrahimovic. 
 
He battled to the end, almost snatching a late equaliser with a half volley on the turn, but the dying minutes were instead marked by the Belgian fans raucously chanting &quot;Bye Bye Ibrahimovic!&quot; 
 
&quot;It&#39;s heavy, it&#39;s disappointing, but at the same time I enjoyed it, we got the possibility to play at &nbsp;the Euros, and represent Sweden,&quot; said Ibrahimovic. 
 
&quot;At the same time I am proud, this was my last game in the national team, I have many fantastic memories.&quot; 
 
Sweden coach Erik Hamren said Ibrahimovic was a &quot;unique&quot; talent that cannot be replaced. 
 
&quot;I hope we can find another player, not a Zlatan as I don&#39;t think in a small country like Sweden you can find someone like that, he&#39;s really unique,&quot; said Hamren. 
 
Sweden finished bottom of the group and will look back with regret on a flat performance in their opener against Ireland. 
 
&quot;Our two last games were not bad, but we couldn&#39;t finish our chances in either,&quot; added Hamren. &quot;Against Ireland we weren&#39;t very good, maybe in attack we could have been better against Italy. But I can&#39;t ask more from my players, I&#39;m proud of them, even though we lost the game,&quot; he said. 
 
Facing elimination if defeated, both teams pushed forward to attack which produced a pulsating first half hour in balmy Nice. 
 
Chances came thick and fast, Sweden almost grabbing a dream start three minutes in when a goalmouth half-volley by Marcus Berg, in for John Giudetti as strike partner to Ibrahimovic, was batted out by Thibaut Courtois. 
 
Belgium launched regular raids with Kevin De Bruyne through the middle and Hazard, roving from wing to wing, at the heart of the danger. 
 
Midway through the half, a backheel from Hazard let the Man City star fire a shot straight at the Isaksson. 
 
At the other end, Ibrahimovic had little joy, bar the occasional half-chance snapshot or attempt at a spectacular volley. 
 
But none came to anything on an ultimately frustrating night for the Swedish legend who announced his international retirement after Euro 2016 on Tuesday. 
 
It was Belgium who nearly entered the break in front, when Meurier headed an inch-perfect De Bruyne cross just wide of Andreas Isaksson&#39;s post. 
 
As the clock ran down in the second half the temperature began rising again as Belgium wasted a host of chances to kill of Swedish hopes. 
 
Isaksson dived at full length to keep out a De Bruyne drive before a powerful Romelu Lukaku break was foiled by Isakksson who spread his body well to block the shot. 
 
A minute later, an identical run by the Everton striker, this time with a neat finish, was ruled offside. 
 
Time was running out on Ibrahimovic when he went close with a free-kick turned away by Courtois with a quarter hour to go before De Bruyne cleared off the line. 
 
But Nainggolan secured a richly-talented Belgian side&#39;s place on the favourable half of the draw with a rasping drive into the far corner. 
 
(AFP)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who scored 62 goals in 116 international matches, ends his international career in defeat as Sweden fails to qualify

A late goal by Premier League target Radja Nainggolan earned Belgium a last-16 berth with a 1-0 win over Sweden ending superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic's international career with a defeat. The Roma midfielder, reportedly wanted by Chelsea, controlled a cross from Eden Hazard outside the area and powered it into the net in the 82nd minute. After a poor display against Italy in their group opener, Belgium now take on Hungary in Toulouse on June 26 with the momentum of two wins behind them. "We have got better since the Italy game, kept two clean sheets in a row," said Marc Wilmots, Belgium's coach. "It will be a complicated game, we watched the last minutes of their game against Portugal, Hungary leave 200 per cent on the field," said Belgium skipper Eden Hazard who was awarded man-of-the-match. There was to be no salvation for Sweden, nor one more game for Ibrahimovic. He battled to the end, almost snatching a late equaliser with a half volley on the turn, but the dying minutes were instead marked by the Belgian fans raucously chanting "Bye Bye Ibrahimovic!" "It's heavy, it's disappointing, but at the same time I enjoyed it, we got the possibility to play at the Euros, and represent Sweden," said Ibrahimovic. "At the same time I am proud, this was my last game in the national team, I have many fantastic memories." Sweden coach Erik Hamren said Ibrahimovic was a "unique" talent that cannot be replaced. "I hope we can find another player, not a Zlatan as I don't think in a small country like Sweden you can find someone like that, he's really unique," said Hamren. Sweden finished bottom of the group and will look back with regret on a flat performance in their opener against Ireland. "Our two last games were not bad, but we couldn't finish our chances in either," added Hamren. "Against Ireland we weren't very good, maybe in attack we could have been better against Italy. But I can't ask more from my players, I'm proud of them, even though we lost the game," he said. Facing elimination if defeated, both teams pushed forward to attack which produced a pulsating first half hour in balmy Nice. Chances came thick and fast, Sweden almost grabbing a dream start three minutes in when a goalmouth half-volley by Marcus Berg, in for John Giudetti as strike partner to Ibrahimovic, was batted out by Thibaut Courtois. Belgium launched regular raids with Kevin De Bruyne through the middle and Hazard, roving from wing to wing, at the heart of the danger. Midway through the half, a backheel from Hazard let the Man City star fire a shot straight at the Isaksson. At the other end, Ibrahimovic had little joy, bar the occasional half-chance snapshot or attempt at a spectacular volley. But none came to anything on an ultimately frustrating night for the Swedish legend who announced his international retirement after Euro 2016 on Tuesday. It was Belgium who nearly entered the break in front, when Meurier headed an inch-perfect De Bruyne cross just wide of Andreas Isaksson's post. As the clock ran down in the second half the temperature began rising again as Belgium wasted a host of chances to kill of Swedish hopes. Isaksson dived at full length to keep out a De Bruyne drive before a powerful Romelu Lukaku break was foiled by Isakksson who spread his body well to block the shot. A minute later, an identical run by the Everton striker, this time with a neat finish, was ruled offside. Time was running out on Ibrahimovic when he went close with a free-kick turned away by Courtois with a quarter hour to go before De Bruyne cleared off the line. But Nainggolan secured a richly-talented Belgian side's place on the favourable half of the draw with a rasping drive into the far corner. (AFP)

Belgium seal last-16 berth with 1-0 win over Sweden,  Ibrahimovic bows out

Italy are wary of the threat that Sweden captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic poses, but they can win Friday&#39;s Euro 2016 match in the same way they defeated Belgium, said midfielder Daniele De Rossi. 
 
The 34-year-old Ibrahimovic, who has scored 62 goals for Sweden, failed to make an impact in his team&#39;s 1-1 draw with Ireland. 
 
De Rossi compared the former Paris St Germain striker to Dutch great Marco van Basten. 
 
&quot;Maybe they have less talent than Belgium so they will probably wait in their half and try to play counterattack with long balls,&quot; De Rossi told reporters in France. 
 
&quot;Ibrahimovic is the best forward since the time of Van Basten, except for Ronaldo, but they are different players. 
 
&quot;We are a little bit scared of his power and his talent but we can beat them the same way that we can beat Belgium with organisation and by working hard on the training pitch.&quot; 
 
Italy, who began their campaign with a 2-0 win over Belgium to top Group E, face Ireland in their final group stage match. 
 
(Reuters)

The 34-year-old Ibrahimovic, who has scored 62 goals for Sweden, failed to make an impact in his team's 1-1 draw with Ireland

Italy are wary of the threat that Sweden captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic poses, but they can win Friday's Euro 2016 match in the same way they defeated Belgium, said midfielder Daniele De Rossi. The 34-year-old Ibrahimovic, who has scored 62 goals for Sweden, failed to make an impact in his team's 1-1 draw with Ireland. De Rossi compared the former Paris St Germain striker to Dutch great Marco van Basten. "Maybe they have less talent than Belgium so they will probably wait in their half and try to play counterattack with long balls," De Rossi told reporters in France. "Ibrahimovic is the best forward since the time of Van Basten, except for Ronaldo, but they are different players. "We are a little bit scared of his power and his talent but we can beat them the same way that we can beat Belgium with organisation and by working hard on the training pitch." Italy, who began their campaign with a 2-0 win over Belgium to top Group E, face Ireland in their final group stage match. (Reuters)

Italy can overcome Ibrahimovic threat to beat Sweden - De Rossi

Manchester United have been rejuvenated under new manager Jose Mourinho and are poised to mount a strong challenge for the Premier League title, skipper Wayne Rooney has said. 
 
The 30-year-old forward, who secured his fifth league title with the club the last time they won it in 2013, scored eight top-flight goals last season as United finished fifth and failed to qualify for the Champions League. 
 
The 20-times English title winners have already signed striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, midfielder Zlatan Ibrahimovic and defender Eric Bailly and according to local media reports, have been negotiating with Juventus over the transfer of Paul Pogba. 
 
&quot;I think the players feel this is more like the old Manchester United. It&#39;s not just the new signings, we&#39;ve got Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford from last season who made such an impact,&quot; Rooney told the Daily Mail in an interview. 
 
Rooney, who will line up against boyhood club Everton in his testimonial at Old Trafford on Wednesday, also hopes United can secure the annual Community Shield against English champions Leicester City at Wembley on Sunday. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re in a very good spot now, we think we can challenge for the Premier League and we want to put a marker down, in the Community Shield with Leicester,&quot; Rooney added. &quot;I know it&#39;s a one-off game, but we want to show we can win a trophy early on. We feel that&#39;s an important event for us.&quot; 
 
United, who thrashed Turkish side Galatasaray 5-2 in a friendly on Saturday, open their league campaign with a trip to Bournemouth on August 14. 
 
(Reuters)

The 20-times English title winners have already signed striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, midfielder Henrikh Mkhityaran, and defender Eric Bailly

Manchester United have been rejuvenated under new manager Jose Mourinho and are poised to mount a strong challenge for the Premier League title, skipper Wayne Rooney has said. The 30-year-old forward, who secured his fifth league title with the club the last time they won it in 2013, scored eight top-flight goals last season as United finished fifth and failed to qualify for the Champions League. The 20-times English title winners have already signed striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, midfielder Zlatan Ibrahimovic and defender Eric Bailly and according to local media reports, have been negotiating with Juventus over the transfer of Paul Pogba. "I think the players feel this is more like the old Manchester United. It's not just the new signings, we've got Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford from last season who made such an impact," Rooney told the Daily Mail in an interview. Rooney, who will line up against boyhood club Everton in his testimonial at Old Trafford on Wednesday, also hopes United can secure the annual Community Shield against English champions Leicester City at Wembley on Sunday. "We're in a very good spot now, we think we can challenge for the Premier League and we want to put a marker down, in the Community Shield with Leicester," Rooney added. "I know it's a one-off game, but we want to show we can win a trophy early on. We feel that's an important event for us." United, who thrashed Turkish side Galatasaray 5-2 in a friendly on Saturday, open their league campaign with a trip to Bournemouth on August 14. (Reuters)

Rooney expects rejuvenated ManU to challenge for Premier League title

Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is joining Premier League club Manchester United, he said on Twitter today. 
 
&quot;Time to let the world know my next destination is @Manutd,&quot; the 34-year-old said. 
 
Ibrahimovic had been widely expected to make the move to England after announcing he was leaving French side Paris St Germain. 
 
United will be the eighth club in a career which began at Malmo in 1999 and has included spells at Ajax Amsterdam, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona and AC Milan. 
 
At Old Trafford he will play under new United manager Jose Mourinho. 
 
(Reuters)

Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is joining Premier League club Manchester United, he said on Twitter today. "Time to let the world know my next destination is @Manutd," the 34-year-old said. Ibrahimovic had been widely expected to make the move to England after announcing he was leaving French side Paris St Germain. United will be the eighth club in a career which began at Malmo in 1999 and has included spells at Ajax Amsterdam, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona and AC Milan. At Old Trafford he will play under new United manager Jose Mourinho. (Reuters)

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho today admitted that the club needs one more signing before the season starts but would not confirm it would be record target Paul Pogba. 
 
Media reports in the UK on Wednesday suggested United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward had pulled out of the club&#39;s pre-season tour to China so he could meet and agree personal terms with Pogba&#39;s agent Mino Raiola. 
 
Mourinho was asked directly at a news conference in Shanghai whether he could confirm the reports. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t confirm and I don&#39;t deny. I cannot tell you,&quot; Mourinho said on the eve of the International Champions Cup match against Borussia Dortmund in Shanghai Friday. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think it&#39;s correct to speak about players of other clubs, and he&#39;s a Juventus player and not a Manchester United player. The only thing I can tell you is that my board, my directors they did fantastic work to do 75 percent of the job I asked them to do,&quot; said Mourinho. 
 
&quot;I asked them for four players. To be more accurate I asked them for four or five players I need. I gave them a few options and they did for me 75 percent of the job with (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic, (Henrikh) Mikitharyan and (Eric) Bailly and they have just 25 percent to do until the 31st of August.&quot; 
 
&quot;We are calm. We have three faces to fill the profile. I am confident Mr Woodward will get the player we need to get a good balance.&quot; 
 
Mourinho has reportedly made French international Pogba his top transfer target as he bids to make a big impact in his first season at Old Trafford but it could cost the club a record-breaking &pound;100 million ($130 million, 119 million euros) to land the midfielder. 
 
United are believed to have had an opening bid of &pound;86 million rejected by Juventus and an improved offer could shatter the previous world record fee of &pound;85 million paid by Real Madrid for Gareth Bale in 2013. 
 
Mourinho has already spent more than &pound;50 million on defender Bailly from Villarreal and midfielder Mkhitaryan from Friday&#39;s opponents Dortmund, as well as recruiting Ibrahimovic who left PSG on a free transfer. 
 
Pogba, 23, had a spell at United but was allowed to leave for Juventus on a 2012 free transfer while still a teenager after just a handful of appearances under then manager Alex Ferguson, who slammed him for showing no respect to the club. 
 
Pogba has since emerged as one of the top midfielders in Europe, playing an integral part in the France side that reached the Euro 2016 final and helping Juventus win four successive Serie A titles. 
 
Manchester United round off their China tour against fierce rivals Manchester City in Beijing on Monday. 
 
(AFP)

Reportedly Mourinho has made Pogba his top transfer target as he bids to make a big impact in his first season at Old Trafford

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho today admitted that the club needs one more signing before the season starts but would not confirm it would be record target Paul Pogba. Media reports in the UK on Wednesday suggested United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward had pulled out of the club's pre-season tour to China so he could meet and agree personal terms with Pogba's agent Mino Raiola. Mourinho was asked directly at a news conference in Shanghai whether he could confirm the reports. "I don't confirm and I don't deny. I cannot tell you," Mourinho said on the eve of the International Champions Cup match against Borussia Dortmund in Shanghai Friday. "I don't think it's correct to speak about players of other clubs, and he's a Juventus player and not a Manchester United player. The only thing I can tell you is that my board, my directors they did fantastic work to do 75 percent of the job I asked them to do," said Mourinho. "I asked them for four players. To be more accurate I asked them for four or five players I need. I gave them a few options and they did for me 75 percent of the job with (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic, (Henrikh) Mikitharyan and (Eric) Bailly and they have just 25 percent to do until the 31st of August." "We are calm. We have three faces to fill the profile. I am confident Mr Woodward will get the player we need to get a good balance." Mourinho has reportedly made French international Pogba his top transfer target as he bids to make a big impact in his first season at Old Trafford but it could cost the club a record-breaking £100 million ($130 million, 119 million euros) to land the midfielder. United are believed to have had an opening bid of £86 million rejected by Juventus and an improved offer could shatter the previous world record fee of £85 million paid by Real Madrid for Gareth Bale in 2013. Mourinho has already spent more than £50 million on defender Bailly from Villarreal and midfielder Mkhitaryan from Friday's opponents Dortmund, as well as recruiting Ibrahimovic who left PSG on a free transfer. Pogba, 23, had a spell at United but was allowed to leave for Juventus on a 2012 free transfer while still a teenager after just a handful of appearances under then manager Alex Ferguson, who slammed him for showing no respect to the club. Pogba has since emerged as one of the top midfielders in Europe, playing an integral part in the France side that reached the Euro 2016 final and helping Juventus win four successive Serie A titles. Manchester United round off their China tour against fierce rivals Manchester City in Beijing on Monday. (AFP)

Jose Mourinho tight-lipped on Paul Pogba's purported Manchester United move

Five facts on Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic after he announced that&nbsp;he is signing for English Premier League giants Manchester United today:

League titles but no Champions League crown

Ibrahimovic&#39;s goals have delivered league titles wherever he has gone, from the Netherlands to Italy to Spain and France, but never has he touched the Champions League trophy. Inter Milan and Barcelona won it, but after he had left them. United cannot give him it next season either as they failed to qualify, so he will just have to hope that they get a crack at it for the 2017-18 campaign and that he is still on the playing staff.

Carrot and stick approach needed for Ibracadabra magic

Ibrahimovic is such a contrary character that his coach at a previous club AC Milan Massimiliano Allegri says he needs constant attention if he is to be temperamentally ready to produce his magic turn on the pitch. &quot;With him, you have to use both the stick and the carrot,&quot; he was quoted in The Guardian in 2012. &quot;Ibra is a strong personality and needs to be relaxed at times, while in other occasions he has to be stimulated, otherwise he falls asleep.&quot; Swedish national coach Erik Hamren called him out when he retired from international football in 2009 telling him do come back but not as the depressed donkey Eeyore but as Winnie The Pooh.

Opponents pay homage to &#39;God&#39;

Fair to say Ibrahimovic through his exploits, his superstar appeal and lively temperament lit up a pretty moribund Ligue 1 for the past few seasons.&nbsp;Even opposing clubs felt compelled to offer their &quot;thanks&quot;&nbsp;for his presence, even if he hurt them by scoring goals against them. Such a case was Toulouse, who would have pleased him with the divine being they compared him to given his penchant for adorning himself with epithets in 2014. &quot;Today is your birthday, 33, the age of Christ, your son. Happy birthday and long live the Z! Despite the perverse pleasure you took scoring goals against us the last two seasons, we are not vindictive. We want to thank you. For everything.&quot;

Bikes, bed and docks

No one can begrudge Ibrahimovic his riches given he has fought hard to rise to the top, and at one point would have stuck with working on the docks in Malmo rather than attempting to carve out a football career. His youth team manager at the time persuaded him to stick with the &quot;beautiful game&quot;. Not that he needed a father figure, for despite his Bosnian caretaker dad splitting from his Croatian mother when he was just two, he spent more time with his dad Sefik, who nevertheless was badly affected by the Balkan War even though he had left Bosnia years before. Ibrahimovic -- who during his youth once stole a bicycle to get himself to training -- related to The Guardian in 2014 a moving story about his impoverished father shelling out for an IKEA bed&nbsp;for him. However, they had no way of getting it back home. &quot;We carried it home between us. It&#39;s fantastic what we did. I had time with my mother but I really lived with my father. One time he gave all his salary so I could travel to a training camp. He couldn&rsquo;t pay the rent but he did that.&quot;

Literary Roth of God

Most footballer&#39;s autobiographies generally don&#39;t provide much insight or indeed entertainment, but Ibrahimovic&#39;s &#39;I am Zlatan Ibrahimovic&#39; unsurprisingly bucked the trend. Not often in such tomes will you read anecdotes such as this, about his companion and mother of his children, Helena Seger: &quot;She came from a model family from Lindesberg, one of those families where they say, &#39;Darling, would you please pass me the milk?&#39;, whereas we at table mostly we just hurled death threats at each other.&quot; Indeed one critic compared it to US literary legend Philip Roth&#39;s fictional biography Portnoy&#39;s Complaint, both about growing up as immigrants. 
 
(AFP)

'Time to let the world know my next destination is @Manutd', the 34-year-old said on Twitter today

Five facts on Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic after he announced that he is signing for English Premier League giants Manchester United today: League titles but no Champions League crown Ibrahimovic's goals have delivered league titles wherever he has gone, from the Netherlands to Italy to Spain and France, but never has he touched the Champions League trophy. Inter Milan and Barcelona won it, but after he had left them. United cannot give him it next season either as they failed to qualify, so he will just have to hope that they get a crack at it for the 2017-18 campaign and that he is still on the playing staff. Carrot and stick approach needed for Ibracadabra magic Ibrahimovic is such a contrary character that his coach at a previous club AC Milan Massimiliano Allegri says he needs constant attention if he is to be temperamentally ready to produce his magic turn on the pitch. "With him, you have to use both the stick and the carrot," he was quoted in The Guardian in 2012. "Ibra is a strong personality and needs to be relaxed at times, while in other occasions he has to be stimulated, otherwise he falls asleep." Swedish national coach Erik Hamren called him out when he retired from international football in 2009 telling him do come back but not as the depressed donkey Eeyore but as Winnie The Pooh. Opponents pay homage to 'God' Fair to say Ibrahimovic through his exploits, his superstar appeal and lively temperament lit up a pretty moribund Ligue 1 for the past few seasons. Even opposing clubs felt compelled to offer their "thanks" for his presence, even if he hurt them by scoring goals against them. Such a case was Toulouse, who would have pleased him with the divine being they compared him to given his penchant for adorning himself with epithets in 2014. "Today is your birthday, 33, the age of Christ, your son. Happy birthday and long live the Z! Despite the perverse pleasure you took scoring goals against us the last two seasons, we are not vindictive. We want to thank you. For everything." Bikes, bed and docks No one can begrudge Ibrahimovic his riches given he has fought hard to rise to the top, and at one point would have stuck with working on the docks in Malmo rather than attempting to carve out a football career. His youth team manager at the time persuaded him to stick with the "beautiful game". Not that he needed a father figure, for despite his Bosnian caretaker dad splitting from his Croatian mother when he was just two, he spent more time with his dad Sefik, who nevertheless was badly affected by the Balkan War even though he had left Bosnia years before. Ibrahimovic -- who during his youth once stole a bicycle to get himself to training -- related to The Guardian in 2014 a moving story about his impoverished father shelling out for an IKEA bed for him. However, they had no way of getting it back home. "We carried it home between us. It's fantastic what we did. I had time with my mother but I really lived with my father. One time he gave all his salary so I could travel to a training camp. He couldn’t pay the rent but he did that." Literary Roth of God Most footballer's autobiographies generally don't provide much insight or indeed entertainment, but Ibrahimovic's 'I am Zlatan Ibrahimovic' unsurprisingly bucked the trend. Not often in such tomes will you read anecdotes such as this, about his companion and mother of his children, Helena Seger: "She came from a model family from Lindesberg, one of those families where they say, 'Darling, would you please pass me the milk?', whereas we at table mostly we just hurled death threats at each other." Indeed one critic compared it to US literary legend Philip Roth's fictional biography Portnoy's Complaint, both about growing up as immigrants. (AFP)

Five Facts about Manchester United's sensational signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic

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