By Chrysanthus Ikeh
Paris Saint Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been named the Sweden player of the year for an eighth consecutive time.
The former Barcelona forward won the Guldbollen (Golden Ball) award for the ninth time, upon the decision from the Swedish Football Association and tabloid Aftonbladet on Monday, November 10, 2014.
When speaking about winning the award for the 8th consecutive time, the giant sized player spoke of the tragic death of two of his brother who died of cancer and brain tumour respectively.
‘All these awards that I’ve received, it means that I’ve achieved something; and that I’m good at what I’m doing but it’s overshadowed by what happened to Klas Ingesson and Pontus Segerstrom.’
‘I had a brother who passed away a couple of months ago in a similar disease. There’s a life besides football that is much more important than this. So… may they rest in peace.’
Ibrahimovic, who started his senior career with Swedish team, Malmo in 1996 first, won the award in 2005, but lost it to former Arsenal star, Freddie Ljundberg in 2006 before reclaiming the award in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic presently has 50 goals in 100 appearances for Sweden and many would remember his duel with Cristiano Ronaldo as both showed great sparks to try and take their countries to the World Cup, a battle in which the Portugal captain prevailed eventually.
