While the relationship with
Mido has been somewhat patched up (they call each other occcasionally), the one
with Rafael van der Vaart (24 yrs, captain in Hamburg) never was. He was the other young
talent in Ajax
who fought for the limelight with Zlatan, and their passionate rivalry would
make them one of my favourite mini-OT'Ps in football. In the beginning coach
Koeman had them share hotelrooms, hoping they'd turn out friends. They didn't,
which was made painfully obvious after the Euros 04 when Sweden played a friendly against Holland (that defeated
them on penalties in the quarter finals). It took Zlatan all of 5 minutes to
injure van der Vaart to the point where he had to be carried off the pitch.
This was proceeded by years of fighting at practises, with coach Koeman having
to separate them, and reports on Zlatan's and the Dutch wonderkid's trouble
with sharing the attention. Leo Beenhakker stated it plainly: "It was
the classic scenario, with Rafael and Zlatan - two young players who turn into
stars, early on. They fight about who gets to be on top".
After the Sweden-Holland game, van der Vaart publically
critized Zlatan: "He was crazy. He tried to injure me on purpose. You
can't do that to a team mate." He was also hurt that Zlatan hadn't
even turn to see whether he was OK. Zlatan on the other hand claimed the
collision was unintentional and that van der Vaart was wrong to talk about his
team mates to the press (Journalist after the game: "Do you want to
talk about your problems with some of the teammates?" Zlatan: ""What
problem? I don't have any problem. Do you have a problem?"). After
this the relationship got worse - Zlatan told Koeman he wouldn't ever play for
the same team as van der Vaart, and he and the other player had a huge fight in
the dressing room, with Zlatan screaming "If you ever talk about me to
the press again I'll break your neck". When he and Van der Vaart later met for the first time
playing for different clubs, van der Vaart commented shortly: "Zlatan
Ibrahimovic was never my friend. I'd think everybody knows this".
Seeing as he actually threw a huge party when Ajax finally decided to cash in on Zlatan (it
was all over Dutch press) I think it's safe to say everybody did. Van der Vaart is the young man in the stands
looking like he's on a funeral during Zlatan's one-man-show against NAC Breda
(Koeman was asked to comment: "His reaction wasn't the best. I don't
think the footage should have been shown on the big screens, though, it'll just
increase the rumours".)
Who is Mido, might you ask? Egyptian player
Ahmed "Mido" Hossam (Tottenham) came to Ajax at the same time as Zlatan, was the same
age, and just as talented. Instead of becoming rivals, they turned out friends
- "they were a set piece in Amsterdam", according to a Swedish
reporter - playing football and hanging out (Dutch Voetbal International
described them as "a couple of troublemakers spending most of their
time at the disco"). Oh, and all of you A/Z fans?
So anyways, Mido was
probably the only player coach Ronald Koeman had more trouble with than with
Zlatan - he would later get kicked out from Roma and Marseille, as well as the
national squad (after calling director Hassan Shehata an "ass").
Nowadays, he has settled in Tottenham where he's one of the key players. At the
time, the boys' general attitude is best summed up by the following snippet,
from an Ajax
interview that took place just after Mido had gotten married: Reporter: "Expectations for 2003?" Zlatan: "We will win the title and the cup. And get as far as possible
in the Champions League." Mido: "I want to win the Golden Ball. Not of Africa, but of Europe. And for my personal life? No Zlatan, I don’t want
to have children yet." (Aw, Zlatan and his early family planning.) In another interview, Zlatan was asked about his and Mido's friendship, and
said "Mido just got married. So I don't want to bother anymore."
Next thing you knew, there were reports about the two of them falling out,
screaming at each other on the pitch and fighting in the dressing room. Three
months later, in March 2003, Koeman called for a press conference and told the
press he was getting rid of Mido. "Mido has been too much trouble,
there's been too many incidents. For example he's thrown a pair of scissors
against Ibrahimovic's head". The following season Zlatan won the
League on his own, and was voted best player in the team.