'Ibrahimovic wanted Madrid move to spite Guardiola'

Posted Monday, February 23, 2015 by Goal.com

The striker had a rocky relationship with the Spaniard at Barcelona and was prepared to join their arch-rivals to get back at him

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s agent Mino Raiola says the PSG star almost joined Real Madrid after leaving Barcelona in a bid to exact the "perfect revenge" on his former boss Pep Guardiola.

The striker moved to Camp Nou in 2009 but departed after just one season following a series of bust-ups with the 44-year-old.

And Raiola claims that Ibrahimovic wanted to reunite with his former Inter coach Jose Mourinho at the Bernabeu in a move he says would have been the perfect response to his ill-treatment.

"Zlatan wanted to play for Real when he left Barça. It would have been the ideal move. The perfect revenge against Guardiola,” Raiola told Marca.

"Real Madrid is a political club and not a normal club. I don't understand the way they do things.

"It would have been the perfect club for him because he's a great player, he's passionate and because he can do something amazing at any moment."

Raiola went on to describe current Bayern Munich boss Guardiola’s behaviour as “shocking”, insisting the Spaniard was to blame for Zlatan’s early exit from Camp Nou.

"Only 'The Philosopher' [Guardiola] knows [What happened between him and Zlatan],” he said.

"As a person, his behaviour was terrible, shocking. He's a great coach. He was calling Zlatan for one year. About 10 times.

"At Barcelona he told him whatever he needed or wanted he would be helped with. Then all of a sudden he stopped talking to him.”