#2 Zlatan ordeal
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Considered the best striker in the world during that time, Zlatan was signed for £66m with Eto’o and Hleb moving to Inter. Eto’o had just finished the season scoring 36 goals and was only a year older than Zlatan.
A self-proclaimed superstar, the, then 27-year-old, Swedish striker struggled to settle into the team with Pep’s mismanagement doing him no favour. In his own words about Pep, Zlatan said, “You bought a Ferrari & drove it like a Fiat.” The big Swede was not fond of the school like structure at Barcelona where the manager was a headmaster and even the superstars were treated like students.
Most managers often make exceptions to their system to fit in world class players and make the most out of them. Pep did not. Zlatan did not like that Pep was never straight with him regarding any problems and instead of talking to him, would simply bench him. Despite all these problems, the Swedish international scored 22 goals that season which showed how lethal he could have been with manager’s support.
Zlatan was sold within a season with both the player and the manager happy to see the back of each other. The relationship between both of them was irrevocably damaged.
To add salt to the wounds, Eto’o had a brilliant season at Inter under Mourinho. They knocked out Barcelona from the Champions League in the semi-final and went on to win the treble.
