Zlatan Ibrahimovic, legendary personality in the football world and striker currently at AC Milan, spoke to the microphones of SportWeek of La Gazzetta dello Sport:
"The head is 50% of what I do. If I have to say, today my problem is the body because it is not always behind my mind."
On AC Milan team:
"When I arrived and asked in the locker room how many had played a match in the Champions League, a couple of players raised their hands. I thought it was a joke ... But the goal was the Champions League and winning the Scudetto, I was not successful on that, but we came close. Then, we finished second. It is not only thanks to me, we did a great job all together. The teammates, even the young and inexperienced ones, understood what it takes to get where we arrived last May, but also that something is missing to finish first. We are all working a lot on this."
On how to overcome fatigue:
"When fatigue comes in the game, the head is not always there, you have to make decisions quickly and it is easy to make mistakes at that point. You think slowly. I wanted something that would help me in a few minutes to keep concentration. I had seen on TV Tiger Woods playing with a chewing gum in his mouth, the commentator said he needed to keep hunger down. And I realized what I needed: I can't walk around the field with the bottle, but I can with a chewing-gum. Now in the Milan locker room they are selling like hot cakes. I take it before the game and keep it until it loses its flavour."
Ibrahimovic commented on the state of his condition and body:
"When I was young I just played, even if I had a tendon pain, like today. I wanted to win and score, that's all. With time and experience, I discovered my mentality. And I realized how important it is that you must communicate with your body. Here, now my head is fine, but my physical body is getting old, the head can't always keep up with it and it's a problem ... This year I have to listen to my body which sends every little signal to me. Only in this way can I avoid consequences worse. And to play, as I want, all the games with continuity. Not like last year. I have to carry my body with me every day and listen to it. Think day by day, slowly. But, I must also think that I am not superman."
On his friendship with Tennis player Novak Djokovic:
"His crisis in New York? It's never easy to digest such a disappointment. Nole (Dojokovic) played so well and won all year. Then, in the final step, something was missing, it happens. Nole remains incredible."
