Ibrahimovic recalls his great battle with Del Piero: “He was my idol” | OneFootball

Milan senior advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic revealed what it was like to compete with Alessandro Del Piero for a starting role.

The two legendary strikers were teammates at Juventus between 2004 and 2006. While the Italian had already carved out a place for himself in the club’s history at the time, the Swede was only a rising star at the time.

Alessandro Del Piero & Zlatan Ibrahimovic competed for a starting role at Juventus

At the time, David Trezeguet was an almost undisputed starter in Fabio Capello’s lineup. The French hitman was one of the finest centre-forwards of his generation.

But despite his young age, Ibrahimovic was able to challenge Del Piero for a starting role and even gain the manager’s preference.

While the battle for a starting place between the men sparked a major debate among fans and observers, Ibrahimovic insisted that he and Del Piero shared a wonderful relationship.

The two men were reunited on Sunday evening ahead of the Derby della Madonnina, with ADP working as a pitch-side pundit on CBS.

Ibrahimovic revealed his great relationship with Del Piero

The iconic Swede revealed that the 2006 World Cup winner was his football idol at the time, so he cherished the opportunity to share the same locker room with him.

“I arrived at Juventus when there were number 10s in football. Obviously, Maradona was THE number 10, but then there was Alessandro Del Piero,” said the Milan official during his pre-match appearance on CBS (via Tuttosport).

“I remember he had these long sideburns and white Adidas boots. One day, he was kicking a ball into the top corner, and he left me speechless.

“He was my idol when I arrived, and now I was sharing the locker room with him. Obviously, however, we were in competition. So I told him: ‘Ale, I love you, but now we just have to compete and fight for who gets to play.’

“It was a huge honour for me. He’s a legend; there’s no need for me to tell you what kind of player he was. History speaks for itself.

“I shared the pitch and the locker room with him. And when you know the player that’s one thing, but when you know the person it’s even better.”

Ibrahimovic left Juventus in the wake of the Calciopoli scandal and went on to play for a host of other top European clubs before ending his career at Milan in 2023.

On the other hand, Del Piero refused to abandon the sinking ship, playing an integral role in the club’s revival. He guided the club towards one more Scudetto title before his bittersweet departure in 2012.