Ibrahimovic to prove his worth at star-studded Inter Milan

Sep 7, 2006, 2:32 GMT

Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic displays his new jersey during a presser at Inter Milan team\'s headquarters in Appiano Gentile on Thursday, 10 August 2006. EPA/VALENTINO CATALANI

Milan - The words pronounced by Zlatan Ibrahimovic on his arrival at Inter Milan must have sounded like the best of omens for his new fans.

'I am a winner, I always was one and I will still be with Inter, a very strong team where I am honoured to play,' he said in the first press conference after his transfer from Juventus in early August.

Ibra's arrival from the Turin club, who also sold Inter Frenchman Patrick Vieira, followed the awarding of the Serie A title to Inter as a result of a match-fixing trial that stripped Juve of their last two titles.

After paying the second highest fee in the Serie A transfer season, 24.8 million euros (31.3 million dollars), and offering him a four-year contract worth 4.5 million euros per season, Inter expect much from the self-confident Swede in their effort to retain a scudetto they last won on the pitch in 1989.

The trial sentence did not water down Ibra's pride, who, like many other Juve players, said he still felt his side deserved the titles won in Turin, but could not accept to play in the Serie B following Juve's forced relegation.

'This is football,' he said. 'I had to think about my future and my future is here. I am sorry for the Juve fans, but life goes on.'

Ibra, who turns 25 on October 3, immediately found a spot in the team steered by Roberto Mancini and debuted in late August as Inter secured the Italian Supercup over Roma, stunningly coming back from three goals down to clinch a 4-3 win in extra time.

Competition, however, will be hard within Mancini's striking package as Brazilian Adriano promises to bounce back after a glum season, Argentina's star Hernan Crespo is back from Chelsea and his compatriot Ricardo Cruz remains a very reliable element.

Inter fans who warmly welcomed him in Milan feel it is time for him to fully display the talent that his coaches and colleagues have recognised since he began kicking the ball in his native Malmo.

Ibra is tall and strong, measuring 1.92 metres and weighing 84 kilos, but retains the agility of the fastest strikers and often fools defenders with his spectacular acrobatic stuns.

Fabio Capello, his former coach at Juve, now with Real Madrid, compared some of his feats to those of Marco van Basten, the retired Dutch star who Ibra, for the time being, can only dream to emulate.

To reach the perfection that would make him one of the world's greatest footballers, Ibra should stop being 'in love with his own moves and tricks with the ball,' as Capello said, which would make him more effective when it is time to score.

The meagre seven goals scored in the past season were quite disappointing for Juve fans, who also disapproved the dull periods that marked his season.

A final hurdle on his path to glory is Ibra's frequent lack of discipline, evident once again this week when he was sent home from the Swedish squad along with Olof Mellberg and midfielder Christian Wilhelmsson after reportedly visiting a nightclub in Gothenburg where the Swedish squad was preparing for its Euro qualifier against Liechtenstein.

If he manages to get this under control and bring down his bookings for violent game and reaction fouls there will be plenty of satisfaction in store for him and his new fans.