Zlatan Finally Found A Soccer Journalist He Likes: Himself

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has a media relations strategy that might be described as "prickly."

He once refused to answer questions and then defended his decision with "I am the boss." He once insinuated he slept with a reporter's wife. He once responded to a question with "you think you know more about football than me?" In a different interview, he responded to a question with "I never heard this question before, I think you are the only one who don't understand."

Zlatan and journalists just don't see eye to eye. Until now. Because Zlatan is the journalist. He is also the subject. He posted a photo on Instagram that included an interview as the caption, and we can only assume Zlatan was asking the questions because one question included the phrase "beautiful Zlatan goals."

Either that or he got David Lagercrantz to make up his responses for him.

Q: Tonight, it’s time for Champions League as you receive Manchester City at home on Parc des Princes. The other day you got a perfect warm-up by winning 4-1 over league-third Nice, a match where you performed a hat trick. What are your thoughts about the quarterfinal? Zlatan: An important and difficult match. Q: Manchester City eliminated Dynamo Kiev in the previous round, and for the first time in club history they get to play quarterfinals in the Champions League. What do you think of the light-blue team from Manchester? Zlatan: It’s a very good team. Q: City is, just as PSG, a world class team packed with stars. Which City players would have made the PSG starting lineup? Zlatan: They have a good team, and we have a good team. Q: The keeper for Manchester City is Englishman Joe Hart, a player who has conceded beautiful Zlatan goals before. How about adding to his misery tonight? Zlatan: Let’s see what happens.

A photo posted by IAmZlatan (@iamzlatanibrahimovic) on Apr 6, 2016 at 5:59am PDT

As both a professional journalist and someone who has spent far too many hours blabbering about the value of journalism in any democracy, I can't help but feel a pathological need to critique Zlatan's made up interview with himself. I have a problem.

Why didn't journalist Zlatan press player Zlatan on his lawsuit against a Swedish doctor who accused player Zlatan (and by extension journalist Zlatan) of doping? You'd have to at least touch on it, otherwise you're letting your subject off the hook. See me after class, journalist Zlatan. 

My favorite part of this is when journalist Zlatan asks player Zlatan who on Manchester City would start for PSG and player Zlatan gives himself a total non-answer. Like, the voices in his head are now giving each other the silent treatment.

Also: "beautiful Zlatan goals."

(H/T Archie Rhind-Tutt)

Contact The18 Staff Writer Sam Klomhaus at Klomhaus@The18.com or follow him on Twitter @SamKlomhaus