What's the meaning of Zlatan?
ALL IN THE GAME:He’s rarely out of the news, is that Zlatan Ibrahimovic fella. He’s even attracted the attention of the French federation of the blind and visually impaired who included his image in their 2013 calendar, but not in an entirely loving way, their President, Vincent Michel, asking:
“Mr Zlatan Ibrahimovic, do you know that with your annual salary, you could fully fund the Institute’s 250 researchers and personnel who work in the department of research on diseases of the vision?”
Zlatan, you’d imagine, would be unapologetic about his Paris St Germain wage packet of over €1 million a month, in a ‘because I’m worth it’ kind of way. As The Observer quoted him saying yesterday: “Today at training journalists even started talking to me on the pitch, which is not normal. They shouldn’t be allowed. I think France is not used to having someone in their country who is of my level.” Presumably Joey Barton will have something to say about that.
And now, just to enhance Zlatan’s feeling of self-worth, he’s been added to the Swedish dictionary. Yes, the Swedish Language Council has made “Zlatan” a verb, meaning “to dominate on and off the field”. It’s quite an honour, it has to be said, maybe something we should start doing ourselves. “Katie” meaning “to pulverise”, for example?
Best of Torres could be better . . .
“We watched the best of Fernando today - but he can do better.”
Rafael Benitez, as heard by a puzzled Private Eye reader
“I am very sorry about this news Chamakh has sign a 6 month loan deal! not my pick.”
Twelve-year-old Jack Sullivan on Twitter after West Ham signed Marouane Chamakh from Arsenal. And who’s Jack? Son of West Ham owner David. Awkward
“I hope Chamakh can prove me wrong !?!?!?!?”
Young Jack again, having deleted the first tweet. Still, all those question and exclamation marks suggested he hadn’t yet been wholly convinced by his Da about the wisdom of the signing
“With Mourinho they either loved him or they hated him, but with AVB it’s the other way.”
Darren Gough, the former England cricketer who now works for TalkSport, trying to make a point about Andre Villas-Boas
“He is a really good lad and has been brilliant during my time here in terms of as a human being.”
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers paying tribute to Joe Cole the man, if not the footballer, as he departed for West Ham
“Do ICI send an email to another bio chemicals company telling them their new discoveries in drugs? . . . I am sure they don’t . . . Sometimes we get a photographer wandering over in the woods – but we can put wolves in there.”
Alex Ferguson explaining why he doesn’t allow photographers in to training sessions. He was probably serious about the wolves too
