Ibrahimovic rage at Swedish sporting legends snub

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has reacted with anger at the list. Picture: Getty

The Paris Saint-Germain striker lost out to tennis legend Bjorn Borg in the list which was compiled by Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter.

The publication ranked the top 150 Swedes, placing Ibrahimovic behind the five-times Wimbledon winner.

And the Sweden international, 33, responded to the paper’s congratulatory message by saying: “Thank you, but to finish second is like finishing last.”

When asked for his top 5 Swedish sporting legends, Ibrahimovic replied: “I would have been No 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, with due respect to the others.”

However, Ibrahimovic conceded that Borg - who won six French Open titles - was a ‘cool person’ and a ‘living legend’.

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The former tennis ace has previously described Ibrahimovic as Sweden’s biggest star, branding him ‘bigger than Ikea’.

Borg cleaned up at Wimbledon for five straight years between 1976 and 1980, eventually losing to John McEnroe in the 1981 final.

Ibrahimovic has scored 322 goals in 594 career appearances to date, and released a single earlier this year.

Nine of Ibrahimovic’s best quotes

1. On rumours he could have signed for Arsenal as a teenager

“Arsene Wenger asked me to have a trial with Arsenal when I was 17. I turned it down. Zlatan doesn’t do auditions.”

2. On the wisdom of ex-Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola

“Then Guardiola started his philosopher thing. I was barely listening. Why would I? It was advanced bullsh*t about blood, sweat and tears, that kind of stuff.”

3. On Mario Balotelli’s ‘firework incident’

“I like fireworks too, but I set them off in gardens or kebab stands. I never set fire to my own house.”

4. On what he would get his wife for her birthday

“Nothing. She already has Zlatan.”

5. On house-hunting in Paris after his transfer to PSG

“We’re looking for an apartment. If we don’t find anything, then I’ll probably just buy the hotel.”

6. On schooling Liverpool defender Stephane Henchoz

“First I went left, he did too. Then I went right, and he did too. Then I went left again, and he went to buy a hot dog.”

7. On being asked if he had aspirations to go into coaching

“Become a coach? Impossible. Because during the match I’d slap at least two players and after the match, eight.”

8. On comments made by an opponent suggesting his skills were ‘pointless’

“What Carew does with a football, I can do with an orange.”

9. On being asked for his thoughts on Euro 2012 after Sweden’s elimination

“I don’t give a sh*t who wins, I’m going on a holiday.”

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