Jump to content
Search In
  • More options...
Find results that contain...
Find results in...

Series A Decade With Zlatan Ibrahimovic


Ashez
 Share

Recommended Posts

 

A Decade With Zlatan Ibrahimovic
 
PpJzru4.png
 
With the release of FMM 2016 the series will be a ten years old and during that time we've been able to follow some of the worlds greatest players. In this article I'll be looking at the journey Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovic has taken over the past decade. 
 
Ibrahimovic Fact File
 
Age: 33 - 34 on 3rd October.
Nationality: Swedish
Position: Striker
International Caps: 107
International Goals: 57
Club Caps: 624
Club Goals: 342
Club Honours: 28
Combined Transfer Fee Total: £150 million - The World Record. 
 
Life Before Football Manager Handheld
 
Ibrahimovic started his career at Malmo FF in 1999, during his first season Zlatan scored one goal in six games but he couldn't prevent his side from being relegated to the Superettan. During his time in the Swedish second division young Zlatan managed to score twelve goals in twenty six appearances which helped gain his side promotion back to the top division. His performances in this season were enough to gain the attention of clubs around Europe but it was Ajax who managed to pick him up for €8.7 million. 
 
Under the leadership of Ronald Koeman Ibrahimovic managed to secure two titles in his first season being the Dutch League and Cup. The striker managed to score nine goals in thirty three games in his first season in Holland but it was in season two where he exploded onto the scene scoring an impressive twenty one goals in forty two games! Unfortunately his efforts weren't enough for the club to be a success as they only claimed the Dutch Super Cup. The 2003-2004 league season saw Ajax back to winning ways as they reclaimed their league title but Zlatan's season wasn't as successful as the previous as he managed fifteen goals in thirty one games. Zlatan however found success on the international stage as his Swedish side reached the Quarter Final's at the Euros. 
 
Ibrahimovic started his fourth season in Holland well scoring three goals in four which led to him being signed by Italian Giants Juventus for €16 million, reports suggest the move came about after Ibrahimovic had a falling out with Ajax's up and coming star Rafael van der Vaart. The move worked out well for Zlatan however as he scored sixteen goals for the Old Lady in the 2004-05 season while also claiming his first Scudetto. 
 
Zlatan Arrives On FMH
 
DpcEVrC.png
 
Image from FM I believe, with the lack of screenshot feature on the PSP old images are hard to find
 
2005-2006
 
In the first game of the series Zlatan Ibrahimovic was still at Juventus and your options were to manage him there as buying him was very difficult. This season however turned out to be a poor one as his role within the team had changed and he was now the support striker which led to him only scoring ten goals in forty seven appearances. Worst was still to come for the talented striker though as the match fixing scandal came to light which resulted in Juve and Ibrahimovic being stripped of their last two titles and being relegated to Serie B! Who'd have thought a player of Zlatan's quality would be relegated not once but twice! Would he be found in the second division on FMH 2007 though? 
 
2006-2009
 
If you had your hopes on unleashing Zlatan in the second division of Italy you were out of luck as the striker sealed a big money move to Inter Milan! This was a special move for the Swede as he supported Inter as a child and former Inter Milan striker Ronaldo was his role model. After losing his previous title with Juventus Ibrahimovic put his all into making Inter a force again and he did succeed as they won three league titles on the bounce while also picking up two Italian Cups. On the games that covered this period Zlatan was one of the deadliest players on the planet as he rediscovered his scoring form banging in an incredible sixty six goals in one hundred and seventeen matches. Once again though if you wanted to use him your options were limited as he signed a new contract in 2007 which made him the highest paid player in the world which also made him the highest paid player in game! In theory only two clubs could attract him at this point......
 
2009-2010
 
jH15Rhc.png

FMH fans around the world gasped with excitement as the best striker in the world joined the best team in the world! In a deal worth around €69.5 million (including two players and €44m in cash) Ibrahimovic had joined up with Messi at Barcelona! The thought of these two in the same team was mouth watering and FMH players were eager to abuse them! Unfortunately this dream partnership only lasted for FMH 2010 as various issues surrounding Ibrahimovic meant he was on the move once again at the start of the next season. Ibrahimovic was moved out wide so Messi could have his central attacking role and this hindered the big Swede but he still performed scoring twenty one goals for the Spanish giants as they went on to claim La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup, the CWC and the European Super Cup. It's a shame Ibrahimovic couldn't also add the Champions League to his collection as his former side Inter Milan claimed the prize this season under Jose Mourinho. In the following season Ibrahimovic played one and scored one securing another Spanish Super Cup before he was off again. 

 
2010-2012
 
FMH 2010 caused a number of issues for fans wanting to use Ibrahimovic as he was loaned to AC Milan! The friction was clear to see and a year after spending close to seventy million on the player they sent him on loan with a few to a permanent deal worth €24 million. The issue was FMH doesn't have such clauses so you either had to play as Milan in the hope of being able to buy him or playing as Barcelona and recalling him, decisions decisions! Thankfully Milan sealed the deal at the end of the season so on FMH 2011-12 he was officially a Milan player. It turned out Milan was the right fit for the powerful striker as he discovered great form scoring fifty six goals in just eighty five games! Ibrahimovic had shown he has a knack for leading his teams to titles and this trend continued as he sealed Serie A in the 2010-11 season and the Italian Super Cup in 2011. 
 
2012-2016
 
Cl0IHEI.png
 
Ibrahimovic was on the move again as recently rich PSG picked him up for €20 million to the anger of the Milan fans. The new owners of the club wanted a landmark signing to show their strength and intentions while they also hoped the players record of always delivering a title would continue in France. The investment soon paid off as the Swede helped PSG dominate France as they have claimed nine trophies to date including three league titles! On route to these trophies Zlatan once again showed his quality as his current record is one hundred and eight scored in just one hundred and thirty two games! Fans of FMH were excited by the prospect of another sugar daddy club to play with and the signing of Ibrahimovic made this even more exciting, as did the other players the club signed including Pastore, Cavani and Lucas Moura. Now that's some attacking force! 
 
Ibrahimovic On FMM 2016
 
Ibrahimovic has had an amazing career as this article has highlighted and I'm sure many of you have memories of his abilities in game, however his journey is far from over. He'll be found still at PSG on the next instalment in the series and while age isn't on his side anymore I'm sure you guys will be able to send him off in style. Can you continue his title delivering feats by taking him to a new country? Can you win him that Champions League crown that his shelf is missing? You could even wait it out and bring this highly experienced and motivated player in to be one of your coaches! That's the beauty of FMM as a series as you can do whatever you want, just make sure you give Ibrahimovic a run out as he's been keeping FMH interesting for a decade. 
 
Thank you for viewing, hopefully you enjoyed the read. As always I'd love to hear your views and opinions while I also hope this has inspired you guys to do something similar with other players.
Edited by Ashez
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It does indeed feel strange, how many other games feature "characters" that age and evolve year on year like the player does. The game will feel so odd in the coming years as we start to see more of the FMH generation start retiring and leaving the game. Just imagine FMM without a Ronaldo or Messi for example! It's scary really! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...