Zlatan Ibrahimovic threatens teammate’s legs, sparking hatred

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Rafael van der Vaart were once considered the future of football, but their relationship quickly soured. Ajax, the 1995 Champions League winners, had to keep up with the changing football landscape at the turn of the millennium and crafted a squad that included returning hero Ronald Koeman and a raft of young Dutch talents. Van der Vaart captained the team, which was soon joined by Ibrahimovic in 2001. The Swede quickly became the star of the side, which was a problem for Van der Vaart. Despite their success, things got heated when they first met as opponents in 2004. A friendly between Sweden and Ajax ended 2-2, and Van der Vaart went off injured after seven minutes due to an Ibrahimovic tackle. The injured midfielder later quoted the striker as saying: “I don’t like you, I don’t like you as a captain.” Four days later, with an injured Van der Vaart in the stands at the Amsterdam Arena, Ibrahimovic scored an incredible goal against NAC Breda. The stadium was stunned, but Van der Vaart was the only person unimpressed. Their rivalry continued, but thankfully, there weren’t any legs broken in any of their meetings. Both players have retired as heroes who reached the very top of the game – with their legs intact.