The A-League should consider renaming itself the Z-League if that’s what it takes for Perth Glory to sign Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic for a six-game guest stint.
Let me stop you before you get started. I’ve heard all the critiques a thousand times before.
That these sugar hits never last. That it messes with the integrity of the league.
I even saw a few fans voice fears that Zlatan might badmouth the A-League.
To which I say: so what?
Perth Glory attracted a crowd of 9,829 fans to HBF Park for their first home game of the season on the back of a grand final appearance last May.
Were the stands half-full because Tony Popovic assembled his squad in an orderly fashion, or half-empty because there were no genuinely big names to see?
It feels like a uniquely Australian reaction to criticise the pursuit of one of the biggest names in world football before it has even started.
Why are we always so negative? The Americans certainly aren’t.
Say what you will about the quality of Major League Soccer, but North American clubs sign the sort of foreign players A-League fans can only dream of.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic with Manchester United. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
And those who believe Ibrahimovic has zero connection to Australia should think again.
We already know his links to Ola Toivonen. The pair played together for Sweden and Toivonen was once represented by Ibrahimovic’s agent, Mino Raiola.
But there’s more to it than that.
Ibrahimovic just scored 31 goals in 31 games and laid on eight assists for LA Galaxy in one of the most dominant individual seasons ever seen in MLS history.
And one of the strength and conditioning coaches he worked with on a day-to-day basis was none other than Adam Waterson, who was part of the backroom staff when the Western Sydney Wanderers won the AFC Champions League.
Then there’s Robbie Thomson. When Zlatan was scoring goals for fun in the French league, the former Fox Sports commentator was acting as an in-house commentator and translator for Paris Saint-Germain. He still does.
Both Waterson and Thomson worked with Ibrahimovic on a daily basis, and while they may not have extolled the virtues of the A-League with such regularity, it’s hardly accurate to suggest the striker would never have given any thought to Australia before.
Some online critics seem to think Perth itself is reason enough for Ibrahimovic never to set foot down under, yet he grew up in a tough neighbourhood in Malmö and still visits his Swedish hometown regularly.
And the way to appeal to a player like Ibrahimovic is not with money, but by proposing a new adventure in a place he’s never conquered before.
That’s exactly what Perth can offer. I heard from someone involved in the negotiations yesterday that their interest is very much genuine.
Is it a problem that Ibrahimovic might only stay for six games before potentially joining a club in Europe in the January transfer window?
Not for me, although it may well be for FIFA.
But if you don’t ask the question, you’ll never know the answer and Tony Pignata deserves praise for putting Perth Glory front and centre of the media cycle.
You know how Glory just signed a major sponsorship deal with BHP? It’s because of stories like this.
And even if Zlatan simply laughs off the approach, or Glory can’t agree to terms, or FIFA slams the brakes on the whole thing, what’s the harm?
Because those who worry about Ibrahimovic’s astronomical ego, or how his signing might disadvantage rival teams, should be more worried about the A-League’s near-terminal decline.
We need something – or someone – to supercharge the A-League and help pack out a few stadiums again.
We already know his name. It’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
rolland
Guest
oh please this is australia we have an abundance of sports and football codes .Zlatans are needed because we are spoilt for choice so it takes a zlatan to bring excitement and new fans it works great in the USA and they are in the same boat where sokah is a minor player in a pool of many football codes .stop being such a snob .this is not europe where sokah is king and every other sport is a minor player
rolland
Guest
the last time i got excited about the A league was when Del Piero came to Sydney FC we went to every sydney fc home game . I don't normally follow the league all that closely cause my team the Wollongong wolves isn't in the A league yet .It will be one day .So players like zlatan are very much needed because the reality is with only 11 aussie clubs and half off them in sydney and melbourne there is a lot of football fans like me who don't have a team to follow so we follow not religiously but in passing would if there was an incentive like a Zlatan different story like del Pierro he would attract a new group of fans and the league needs all the fans it cna get even casual ones but on the East Coast with and east coast club would attract bigger fans who would travel to sydney or melbourne from the outer regions this would be more beneficial for the league .fact is the comp needs to expand to 16 teams with new regions included like wollongong canberra fremantle and another brisbane team
Freddie
Guest
The northern beaches? How parochial are you trying to get "anon"? This is Aussie Rules encapsulated. Reduce everything to smaller and smaller pieces. No wonder it can't grow overseas, although it would desperately love to.
Freddie
Guest
Native? Most of the founders of Aussie Rules were born in Britain or Ireland.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
Phil Gould?
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Beckham is on the cover of every womens magazine every other month minimum. Over 95% of women would recognise him from a block away.. Zlatan is not recognisable with his height and huge nose? The ones on that list + Rooney the fat head and Bale are about the only current ones who would be recognised.
oldpsyco
Guest
Maybe in Europe, in Australia He is Nobody. Not remotely comparable to Beckham even Beckham without Posh would struggle to gain attention walking down Pitt Street! Zlatan could walk in a plain suit the length of Elizabeth St and wouldn't get asked for an autograph! He is just not that recognisable. Perhaps some Man U tragic might only might recognise him!
oldpsyco
Guest
What the A-League needs is to concentrate n FOOTBALL. Forget the gimmicks, get rid of the Circus and Stop the Merry go Round. Run the A-League for the A-League. Tell Fox take it or leave it, but Football runs Football! That's the product they wanted in the first place, stop trying to change it! Give the fans time to get to know the teams and the players. Promote the games and the stars, stop just expecting fans to beat a path to the games. They won't come if they don't know its on! The Fans don't feel part of it anymore, that HAS to change!
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Zlatan is up there with the most famous though not a positive image appeal like a Beckham. Bolt would have massive ratings for his first game it would make a free to air record easily for the A-league but I dont think anyone would bother even trying out Kayo for him. Maybe you need to get the donation bucket out for Foxtel. Instagram earnings 1. Cristiano Ronaldo — $69.7 million 2: Lionel Messi — $34 million 3: Kendall Jenner — $23.2 million 4: David Beckham — $15.6 million 5: Selena Gomez — $11.6 million 6: Neymar Jr. — $10.5 million 7: Zlatan Ibrahimovic — $5.8 million 8: Kylie Jenner — $5.5 million 9: Ronaldinho — $3.7 million 10: Khloe Kardashian — $1.7 million
Frank
Guest
:laughing: :laughing: :laughing: Very true
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
ADP performed the best considering the rest of his team. Yorke would have been better if he played as the frontline striker. Last half of the season he was a dm because that whete his national team were lacking. Ninkovic the first season where the team was better than what ADP had didn;t make the finals and he didn;t really perform. If your looking to suceed the best player is Brosque then players like Barbarouses, Fred at his first stint, Berisha in his first seasons. Players who can make an impact in attack,press, defend ,steal the ball, though Barbarouses is a better player on the wing because he can track back and help out in defence.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
You may be right. But if the future of the game requires an arrogant, overbearing and self absorbed mega-egotist to save it then it's in a worse state than imagined.
MarkfromCroydon
Roar Pro
NO. Don’t let him pick up a Sherrington. If he does he’ll probably walk into an AFL team and win the Brownlow.
Ad-O
Guest
Another thing the rest of the world don't do is engage in a ridiculous code war. Destructive for all parties IMHO. If Zlatan wants to kick a Sherrin or a Steeden, I can't see how it can hurt.
Ad-O
Guest
Couldn't agree more. A-League has plateaued but is doing OK. I don't understand people's expectations frankly.
anon
Roar Pro
Not on the northern beaches.
damo
Roar Rookie
Yeah I don't think so. Maybe it's time the A-Lge becomes what it truly is & be happy with that? What is the A-Lge? A reasonably competitive, reasonably skilled, reasonably national competition that has some fantastic players & flashes of skill & is generally watchable, interesting & hopefully financially viable in the long term in what is a very crowded sporting market place in a country with an unusual dynamic of wide spaces but still small population. Sure, all the (momentary) attention of the Zlatan would be great, but without having any stats, I ask myself just how many of the people who were interested in Usain Bolt are still interested in the A-Lge? AdP had a good effect but he stayed & played rather than stopped over en route home. Other marquees have been great but again, they've stayed & played rather than just been a big name with a big mouth ( not knocking Zlatan but this is the prism through which I view the interest in any 'guest apperance' stint). We don't need Zlatan unless he's here for at least the whole season. My view is we have a good league that will grow organically based on generations coming through who feel ownership of their club & whilst attracting people is the aim, methinks if you can afford to pay Zlatan millions once off then you can probably afford to put some thousands into grass roots footy in local clubs where kids play every year & get a lot more out of it.
AGO74
Guest
*biggest cities
AGO74
Guest
I think the best player in the AFL game is the Richmond guy with a mullet? Or is it the tatts? Could be both - but I can guarantee you if that Richmond guy was walking the streets of Sydney or Brisbane (2 of Australias cities) he would be less recognised or known as Zlatan.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
This is the dilemma that grabbing a BIG NAME STAR for the sake of boosting eyeballs delivers but will it help or hinder team structure and morale? Popovic would have to make it work on the pitch while Tony “the big ideas man” Sage engages in the marketing side.