Sweden´s Ibrahimovic announces return to national team

Striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic said Friday he was returning to the national team after a short hiatus from his international career set doubts on his future playing for Sweden.

“What I have always said, is that I am proud to play for the national team … You can count on me to be there at the national team’s next game,” the Barcelona player told a webcast press conference.

Ibrahimovic explained his break was a result of Sweden failing to qualify for the World Cup by loosing to Denmark in an October 2009 game.

“After the last game, when we didn’t get into the World Cup, I felt my motivation disappear,” he said.

“So I decided to give up. I had no desire to play. I’m a competitor, I play to win. After your career, you want to be remembered as someone who won,” he said.

The striker said Sweden coach Erik Hamren awoke his motivation.

“He has the same mentality as me. He promised me a medal,” he said, sitting next to the coach and laughing with reporters.

Hamren called the player’s decision “excellent.”

“A motivated Zlatan is worth gold for the Swedish team. He’s one of the best players in the world,” he said.

Last November, Hamren was among the first to tell media Ibrahimovic doubted his future with the national team.

He had asked the player to give him a definite answer before August.

The 28-year-old striker, referred to as simply “Zlatan” in Sweden, has scored 22 goals in 62 internationals and has been named Sweden’s player of the year four times.

He joined Barcelona in July 2009 from Inter Milan in a deal worth 75 million euros (90 million dollars) but had a mixed first season at the Spanish league club and ended it on the substitutes’ bench.

According to Catalan sports media, he has decided to quit the club to return to Italy.