Jose Mourinho will always be the Special One, attests Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Jose Mourinho will always be the Special One, attests Zlatan Ibrahimovic

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Former Barcelona and Inter Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic has admitted that Jose Mourinho is and always will be the Special One. The former Manchester United manager has been out of a job since leaving the Red Devils and has already picked his next club after rejecting a move to Olympique Lyon.

The former Sweden striker, who has been linked with a move to Italy, has played all over the world even doing relatively well in the Premier League. A move to Manchester United reunited him with former manager Jose Mourinho, under whom he played at Inter Milan, and Ibrahimovic would finish his first season with 28 goals in all competitions.

But an ACL tear towards the end of his first season would see his time in England end badly. Yet, despite that and Mourinho’s subsequent sacking by the club, the Swedish international went on to admit that the Portuguese manager is far from finished as a manager. The former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss has not held a managerial job since leaving the Red Devils but might be close to a comeback.

Reports have indicated that he has already picked his next club and Olympique Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas went on to admit that the Portuguese manager has picked his next club. Ibrahimovic further added that Mourinho will always be the special one and needs to get back as soon as he can because only then will he start winning trophies once again.

"He had an incredible impact on my career.  He is still 'the Special One', a winner. I hope he will back on a bench soon and I am sure he will start winning immediately," the LA Galaxy striker told Gazzetta dello Sport.

However, Pep Guardiola, another former coach, does not have a similar relationship with Ibrahimovic and the Swede confirmed as much. The pair infamously had a bad relationship during the 38-year-old’s single Barcelona season, which saw him hit double figures and win the league title for the club. But despite that, Ibrahimovic admitted that while he respects the Spaniard as a coach, he cannot say the same about Pep Guardiola the man.

"We never had a direct confrontation because of him. When we faced each other, he hid. He waited for me to leave and then left the dressing room. As a coach, he is a phenomenon, but as a man...,” admitted Ibrahimovic.

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