“Ever since I left France, you have nothing to talk about. France needs me, I don’t need France. Even if you have Mbappe, Neymar and Messi, it doesn’t help you because you don’t have God.”
Show the above quote to any avid football fan and they instantly know whose words they are; no other person in football talks the same way. In a profession littered with big personalities, Zlatan Ibrahimovic stood out, literally and figuratively. While it is statements like the above that often made the headlines, there was far more to Zlatan than over-the-top bullishness.
The Swede, who recently ended his glittering career at the age of 41, was a force of nature. In an era dominated by the brilliance of Messi and Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic succeeded in carving out his legacy; an unsurprising feat for a player who embodied the rebel spirit. He conquered diverse terrains, winning the league in four countries and scoring some unbelievable goals along the way. And till the very end, he remained an example to his young teammates at Milan who were inspired by his unwavering dedication to the game.
The driving force of HTT Academy’s mission is the belief that regardless of their circumstances, anyone with talent can achieve their football dreams given proper guidance. Athletes at our Academy come from diverse backgrounds, and we make our programs particularly attractive to talented underprivileged youth. As a child of immigrants growing up in a single-parent household on the poor side of town, Ibrahimovic was once an underprivileged youth in Sweden. The road was not always smooth but through determination and consistency, he rose to heights that his more fortunate peers can only dream of. On their journey to success, aspiring stars will do well to emulate this attitude.
