Thiago Motta admits playing with Zlatan Ibrahimovic was 'hard' at times

Posted Sunday, September 18, 2016 by givemesport.com

Wherever Zlatan Ibrahimovic goes, he leaves a legacy behind him. Moreover, given how many clubs he has represented over the years, he's regarded fondly by a rich batch of European outfits.

However, Paris Saint-Germain are arguably the team that owe the most to the Swedish striker. It's no coincidence that all four of the Parisians' Ligue 1 titles in the 21st century clashed with his tenure at the club.

Nevertheless, midfielder Thiago Motta has suggested that Ibrahimovic's stay at the Parc des Princes wasn't all fun and games. In fact, the Italian believes his passionate desire to win made proceedings difficult at times.

RAMPANT SPELL

Ibrahimovic has played for some of the finest clubs in Europe. Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, PSG and now Manchester United is some roster after all.

Despite having crept into his thirties upon moving to France, the Swede was arguably at his most prolific in Ligue 1. With 156 goals in just 180 appearances, it's fair to say Ibrahimovic wasn't hindered by age.

After all, by the 34-year-old's own admission, he 'came like a king, left like a legend'. In terms of PSG, he's not far wrong.

However, the Manchester United man cannot be seen as the sole reason PSG have swept to so many titles recently. Midfield juggernaut Thiago Motta has also played an integral role, doing the dirty work in front of the back four.

REFLECTION

Furthermore, it's proven the Italian who has spoken up about Ibrahimovic this week. While the 34-year-old was, on the whole, very positive, he alluded to a more troublesome side of his ex-teammate.

According to ESPN, Motta revealed: "He arrived six months after I did. A great character. A man, not just a player, who knows what he wants.

"When he needs to tell you something, he comes out and says it. We had a good understanding in this respect.

"He is like that, direct. In the dressing room, he was one of our leaders. Sometimes things were hard but that was only because he loved to win. I understood what he wanted."

While Motta failed to elaborate on how exactly Ibrahimovic made things 'hard', it's an interesting and surprising outlook nonetheless. It perhaps shows that the Swede's hunger for victory was, at times, simply too much.

You'd have a hard job denying Ibrahimovic's success in Paris, but payment conflicts and subliminal teammate quandaries remain the note on which he left. A superb legacy, not without it's issues though.