The prodigal son has returned.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Paris St Germain play Malmo in the Champions League tonight and the hometown hero is getting the royal treatment.
The Swedish superstar was not always been so fond of Malmo but he is now a very proud Swede and seen as a hugely positive influence in the Scandinavian country.
The 34-year-old is returning to the club where it all started, with 16 goals in 40 appearances, and in typically Zlatan fashion he is not talking down the occasion.
“Malmo have a small stadium – not in Swedish terms but in international standards where I’m used to playing – and if MFF’s stadium had been five times bigger, we’d still have been able to fill it,” he said.
“We want to fit all of Malmo in, but everyone can’t get in, and I want to give everyone a chance to watch the game. It’ll be a large screen in the square where everyone will have a chance to see the match live. We also have a few surprises in store. It’ll be a special moment.”
That’s right, Zlatan has arranged a Zlatan festival and all of Malmo are invited.
To mark the occasion a giant blue Z is being projected on the city’s tallest building.
Zlatan licht op in Malmö https://t.co/QFEuZtCMCP #ZlatanIsBack pic.twitter.com/7n3uiGEuVa
— EredivisiePRO (@eredivisiepro) November 25, 2015
His sponsors are also involved, helping to brand an open area in the city.
Malmö-PSG : sur les traces de Zlatan là où il a grandi https://t.co/sHkj1kcILB pic.twitter.com/eaosleG4CM
— RMC Sport (@RMCsport) November 25, 2015
Amid all the festivities, PSG will look to secure their place in the knockout stages with a win over the Swedish club, who could probably do with Ibrahimovic returning to their starting line-up, not just the city.
