Ibrahimovic Rates Capello As His Best Coach

By Max Wise

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has chosen former Juventus and England manager, Fabio Capello, as the best manager he has worked with.

The former Sweden international has played under some of the best managers in world football including Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Roberto Mancini and Maximiliano Allegri, but says it is Capello, who really caught his eye.

It was Capello who brought Ibrahimovic to Juventus in the summer of 2004 for a reported €16m from Ajax Amsterdam, and the pair won two Serie A titles together at the club which was later revoked due to the Old Lady’s involvement in the Calciopoli scandal.

Ibrahimovic scored 26 goals in 92 games under Capello at Juventus and Italian’s honesty, according to the Swede, is what makes him special.

Ibrahimovic told The Mirror: "I could describe each (coach) but Fabio Capello stands out. He said: 'You score goals for me and if you don't score goals, you can sit up in the stand'.

"I like that. I like direct. I don't want someone saying: 'Wow, you're the best, what an amazing player you are.' I don't need to hear things I already know. I need somebody who puts fire on my skin."

Ibrahimovic, who now plays for LA Galaxy in the Major League Soccer, had even more impressive spells under Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan where he emerged as top scorer in the 2008/2009 Serie A season with 25 goals, and at Manchester United where he scored 29 goals in 53 games.

Mourinho is known for publicly criticizing his players, having had famous bust-ups with Ricardo Carvalho, Iker Casillas, Luke Shaw and Paul Pogba amongst others, and Ibrahimovic has revealed that he has also been at the receiving end of the Portuguese trainer’s fury in the past.

He added: "When they say he is too outspoken in the media, if he is outspoken in the media about you, he has been outspoken to you directly.

"I had a situation at Inter where we had done a bad first half and in front of the team at half-time, he was criticising me.

"I was supposed to be getting an award for being the best player in Italy and he said: 'When you go on to that stage and receive your award, you should feel ashamed. The way you are playing now, you do not deserve it.'

"Him criticising players is nothing new. It is all about how you take it. Me? I said to myself, 'I will go out and show him and demonstrate I can do more and do better.”