Zlatan Ibrahimovic has astonishingly called Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola "immature" over his man-management during their time together at Barcelona.
Zlatan joined Guardiola at the Nou Camp in 2009 after a spell in Italy with Inter Milan, and the Swede became frustrated with a lack of first-team opportunities, claiming Guardiola decided to build his team around Lionel Messi.
In the one season they spent together at the Nou Camp, the Spaniard handed Ibrahimovic 29 appearances during their one season together, with the Swede scoring 16 times from 23 starts.
Following an impressive start to life in Spain for Ibrahimovic, looked set for a long stint in Catalonia, but the pair’s relationship broke down after Pep changed his tactics.
"The first six months were perfect, then the manager changed system, tactics and it didn't work for me," Ibrahimovic said. "I went to talk to him. I'm here to talk, if you think it's for another reason then we can't talk.”
“I said: 'I believe that you are sacrificing some players for one player, 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," Ibrahimovic added. "Second match bench again. I thought he solved it well and he was not talking to me or explaining. Third match bench. Then the fourth match comes and bench again.
"I think something is strange. From that moment he stopped talking to me, looking at me. I go into a room and he walks out of it. He was not a bad person, but the most immature I've had because a man solves his problems."
The two met again at Old Trafford on Sunday after City beat United and extended their lead to 11 points. United manager Jose Mourinho had some milk thrown at him, but nobody is sure whom it was. Maybe it was Zlatan aiming at Pep, but he is just a terrible thrower.
Sources:
www.bbc.co.uk
www.skysports.com
www.dailymail.co.uk
