I Am Zlatan Ibrahimović (Swedish: Jag är Zlatan Ibrahimović) is an autobiography of the Swedish footballer Zlatan Ibrahimović, written alongside 🍋 the Swedish author David Lagercrantz and first published in Swedish in 2011 by Albert Bonniers Förlag. The book was commercially 🍋 successful, selling its first edition of 100,000 copies on its first day, and 800,000 by 2024. It was translated into 🍋 other languages, including a 2013 English translation by Ruth Urbom which was published by Penguin Books. A film based on 🍋 the book was released in Sweden in 2024, titled I Am Zlatan, directed by Jens Sjögren.

Synopsis [ edit ]

Swedish footballer 🍋 Zlatan Ibrahimović tells his life story, starting from his upbringing in Rosengård, a mostly immigrant area of the southern city 🍋 of Malmö. His Bosniak father and Croat mother marry for residency permits and separate when he is two; his father 🍋 suffers from alcohol abuse and trauma from his family's suffering in the ongoing Bosnian War, while his mother is at 🍋 times violent. Segregated from mainstream Swedish society, he finds a way to integrate while a young footballer at Malmö FF, 🍋 while remaining self-conscious of his differences.[1]

In Ibrahimović's account of his one season at FC Barcelona (2009–10), he attacks manager Pep 🍋 Guardiola, whom he considers indirect, cowardly and inflexible.[1][2][3] He praises other managers from his career: Leo Beenhakker (AFC Ajax), Fabio 🍋 Capello (Juventus) and José Mourinho (Inter Milan), as well as his agent Mino Raiola.[4]

Release [ edit ]