Zlatan Ibrahimović spend most of his childhood in Rosengard, Malmo, a place where broken homes and the diversities on the street had real effect on his childhood. His dad was not present most of the time, leaving his mom completely worn out by life. Money was as though it was a ghost that was good at nothing but disappearing. Good teachers saw him as trouble while his neighbors made up stories that he was just another immigrant boy with no future. It always felt like he didn't belong anywhere.

The shame was damn real. While his mates wore new shoes, he stuck to his torn one as there weren't much option. His own words sounded weird and his accent made him stand out. These were things others laughed at him for. He tried to fight back the only way he knew. He stole bikes, responded to insults with his fist and covered the pain he felt. 

Football was supposed to at least save him from complete pain, but even there he felt denial. Coaches rejected his attitude and saw his confidence as arrogance. He was told he wasn't made for their team, not even for the game itself. Those insults ate him up emotionally, but the field kind of, gave him silent answers with goals, strikes and tricks that were too wild to be ignored. 

He didn't let pain break him down, instead, he carved a shield out of it. What others saw as arrogance was survival, against the reflections that refused to stop.

Zlatan's story came to be much more than just football. He became proof that a boy with nothing could rise and make the would speak of his name. From a boy his society tried to get rid of her became a man defining eras, a legend whose existence demanded respects.

Create an account and engage with TJStar Blog on Blogshop for more life reviews of you favorite footballers!