SPORTS
Premier League Is Overrated; Says Zlatan Ibrahimovic
The enigmatic Swedish striker enjoyed a memorable 2016-17 campaign with Manchester United and believes his efforts helped to silence any doubters
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has claimed the Premier League is overrated and insists he would have scored goals aplenty in the world’s richest league if he had arrived a decade earlier.
The straight-talking Sweden striker turned out for Malmo, Ajax, Juventus, Inter, Barcelona, Milan and Paris Saint-Germain in a glittering, trophy-laden career before finally arriving in England to join Jose Mourinho’s United in 2016 at the age of 34.
He netted 28 goals across all competitions before a knee injury ended his season prematurely in a Europa League quarter-final match with Anderlecht in April 2017.
“I’d had a long career before I came – different kinds of countries, different kinds of clubs,” said Ibrahimovic, who joined LA Galaxy in March.
“People said, ‘You don’t need to go to England, because if you fail in England, people will always say you weren’t good enough’. Everybody was against it. And guess what? That made me motivated. That gave me adrenaline.”
Speaking to the magazine FourFourTwo, Ibrahmovic said: “I liked the Premier League. I found it very motivating and very exciting. It gets a lot of attention, although I feel the quality is a little bit overrated – the individual quality, the technical part.
“But the rhythm is high. Even if you are the best, if you can’t handle the rhythm, the pace, then you will not succeed, because the pace is very high.
“I’m super proud and super happy that I went to United – it was the right club,” said the 116-times capped Sweden forward, who has been linked with a January move to Milan at the age of 37 after scoring 22 times in the MLS.
“We won, and I did what I did before I got injured. I had an excellent time – great memories. I’m attached to United forever. The supporters are amazing: wherever I went, I saw red shirts, which was fantastic. It’s a very important moment in my career.”
“As I said when I was in England, you’re lucky I didn’t come 10 years ago, because if I did what I did at 35 years old, imagine it if I was 25. Then it would have been a different story.
“I came there and they said I came in a wheelchair. All the people that talked, in the whole Premier League, I put them in a wheelchair. That’s what I did.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo (30) recorded his fourth triple-double of the season, contributing 11 points, 12 rebounds, and a season-high 13 assists.
Meanwhile, Damian Lillard (34) scored 25 points, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a decisive 128-104 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday night.
Antetokounmpo’s exceptional passing, including 10 assists in the first half alone, ignited the Bucks’ offence and propelled them to victory, snapping a two-game losing streak.
The Bucks had recently faced a challenging period, losing four of their last five games, all against teams with losing records.
However, they convincingly overcame the struggling 8-28 Raptors, despite the absence of Khris Middleton due to an ankle injury.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers praised Antetokounmpo’s playmaking abilities, stating, “Giannis’ passing set the whole tone for our team.”
“When your best player does that, it becomes contagious and the ball just moved,” Rivers said.
Bloody good passing from Giannis.
13 AST | 12 REB | 11 PTS pic.twitter.com/6LGIFIIK6h
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) January 7, 2025
The only downside for the Bucks was a cut Antetokounmpo suffered on his right little finger when he hit the rim on a block attempt late in the first half.
Rivers said it required stitches to stop the bleeding, but Antetokounmpo wanted to stay in a game in which he and Lillard were both able to rest the entire fourth quarter anyway.
Zach LaVine led the Chicago Bulls to a thrilling 114-110 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Chicago, scoring 35 points while also contributing 10 rebounds and eight assists.
The Bulls staged a remarkable comeback, overcoming a 19-point deficit in the third quarter.
Coby White played a crucial role in the victory, scoring 23 points. He drove for a go-ahead layup and followed it up with a powerful dunk, giving the Bulls a 113-110 lead with 15.9 seconds remaining. LaVine then sealed the win with a free throw.
The Bulls successfully countered another impressive performance from San Antonio’s star rookie, Victor Wembanyama. He recorded 23 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, and an astonishing eight blocked shots.
DRIVE HOME SAFELY. BULLS WIN. pic.twitter.com/KSEoyyzCVs
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 7, 2025
In Detroit, Cade Cunningham orchestrated a remarkable comeback for the Pistons.
They scored 32 points and dished out nine assists as they overcame an early 22-point deficit to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers 118-115.
Tim Hardaway Jr. ignited the Pistons’ fourth-quarter surge, scoring 11 of his 26 points during the final period. He drained back-to-back three-pointers, giving the Pistons a 109-106 lead with less than three minutes remaining.
The Trail Blazers mounted a late challenge, twice narrowing the deficit to just one point. Anfernee Simons’ three-pointer with 12 seconds left brought the score to 117-115.
However, Malik Beasley sealed the Pistons’ fourth consecutive win by making one of two free throws and securing a crucial steal.
Sealed the dub the Detroit way
pic.twitter.com/kGkHkHX1o5
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) January 7, 2025
The Phoenix Suns snapped a four-game losing streak with a 109-99 victory over the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers in Philadelphia.
Coach Mike Budenholzer’s decision to shake up the starting lineup by moving Bradley Beal to the bench proved successful. Beal ignited the Suns’ offence, scoring 25 points, with 20 of those coming in the second half.
The Suns trailed by as many as 12 points in the first quarter and entered halftime with a four-point deficit. However, their bench outscored the 76ers’ reserves by a significant margin, 54-7.
Good night, Suns fans!
pic.twitter.com/U1TBskDLYf
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 7, 2025
Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 31 points and 10 assists. And Kelly Oubre Jr. contributed 26 points and 11 rebounds. The 76ers were without Joel Embiid and Kyle Lowry due to injuries.
In New York, the injury-ravaged Orlando Magic upset the struggling Knicks 103-94.
Cole Anthony led the Magic with 24 points, while Wendell Carter Jr. provided a significant spark off the bench, scoring 19 points. The Magic remain without their top four scorers: Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, and Moritz Wagner.
Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges each scored 24 points for the Knicks. The Knicks suffered their third consecutive loss after a nine-game winning streak.
In Memphis, Jaren Jackson Jr. dominated. He scored 35 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the Grizzlies to a 119-104 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
The Mavericks, missing key players Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, dropped their fifth straight game.
The Minnesota Timberwolves snapped their three-game losing streak with a thrilling 108-106 comeback victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. Anthony Edwards fuelled the comeback, scoring 37 points for the Timberwolves.
For more sports updates, check here.
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