Zlatan Ibrahimovic criticises "immature" Pep Guardiola
The Swedish striker spoke to Sky Italia
"A man resolves his problems," he said
Zlatan Ibrahimovic says Pep Guardiola is "immature" because a "man resolves is problems" and the Catalan coach didn't when the two were at Barcelona.
Ibrahimovic and Guardiola are both now in Manchester, albeit at different clubs, with the former at United and the latter at City.
However, talking to Sky Italia before Sunday's derby, the Swedish striker once again took the chance to criticise Guardiola, who he played under at Barça in 2009-10.
"The first six months were perfect and then the manager changed system, tactics and it didn't work for me," he said. “I went to talk to him. I said: 'I believe you’re sacrificing some players for one player, [Lionel] Messi'.
“He said: 'I don't think this is the case but I understand what you say. I will take care of it, no problem, I will solve everything.’ I thought it would be OK. The following game, I was on the bench. I don't say anything, I work. The second match, bench again. He didn't speak to me or look at me. Whenever I went into a room, he would leave it. I realised that it was about more than football.
“But it was his problem; it's he who never resolved the problem with me. I remember on my first day he told me that Barcelona players don't come in Ferraris and Porsches. He was already judging me back then. But if you don't know somebody, you shouldn't judge.
“That was my experience, I don't know about others, although I read that the same happened to [Mario] Mandzukic and Eto'o. He wasn't the worst [coach] I've had, but he was certainly the most immature because a man resolves his problems.”
