Ibrahimovic and Pep exchange an awkward hug in reunion
30 July 2024
After 14 years of disagreement, Spanish coach Pep Guardiola and former Swedish player Zlatan Ibrahimovic finally embraced during a friendly match between Manchester City and AC Milan in the United States.
A video circulated on social media platforms showed Guardiola heading towards Zlatan to shake hands with him, hug him and exchange a quick conversation on the sidelines of the friendly match held in America. This hug comes 14 years after the dispute that occurred between them within the walls of Barcelona Club when Pep was the team's coach and Zlatan was a player in it.
In his book "I am Zlatan", Ibrahimovic talked about the details of that dispute, indicating that Guardiola chose at that time to put him on the wing so that Argentine star Lionel Messi could play as a false center forward.
Zlatan also said that Pep told him not to bring his luxury car to the training ground and when the dispute escalated and Zlatan was confined to the bench and Guardiola "ignored talking to him", Ibrahimovic came in his luxury car and parked it outside his coach's office in a show of defiance, according to the book.
Zlatan has been vocal about his dislike of Pep since leaving Barcelona in 2011, but has always said he thinks he is a great coach. Ibrahimovic is an advisor to the owners at Milan while Pep is the manager of English club Manchester City.