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Börje Salming has followed the leadership and attitude of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The ice hockey legend’s experience is that harsh words and harassment do not lead to success.
– I respect Zlatan as a player, but he must also respect others, says the 69-year-old.
Photo: ANDREAS L ERIKSSON / BILDBYRÅN
There has been a lively debate following the media coverage of journalist Olof Lundh’s new book Landslaget, according to Lundh.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is described as having controversial methods and patronizing his teammates on the Swedish national soccer team.
Börje Salming has followed Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s debate and action from a distance for several years.
– There is a limit to the behavior you can have towards teammates and all the people around you, you cannot run over people anyway. My motto has always been to try to speak through disagreements, they cannot stand up and yell at each other and push someone else just because they think they are better, says Börje Salming.
“Go to hell”
Can you combine the tough demands and tough attitude with a big winning skull?
– No, we must respect each other, because we are a team together and we do not win anything alone. If not all are good companions to each other, you gain nothing. If you play alone, you will go to hell, but if you play with everyone else, you will achieve success. Zlatan cannot win anything by himself, he needs other players to be as good as him. Many of us have been winners, but to have it, you must also treat others with dignity.
Where are your experiences of what happens in a changing room and on the field when there is no good atmosphere and not everyone works together?
– To go far with a team, you need good cohesion on and off the field. It is about helping each other and being kind to each other, when someone is not feeling well you have to take care of that player. We are all important in a team, I usually say that the most important person in a team is the player sitting on the bench. If you don’t have a player who is prepared when someone is injured, things are not going well, so you have to respect him and his role. I am a team player, I love the team and I want to do things together.
Photo: Peter Morgan / TT NEWS AGENCY
Great team spirit
How do you come together to demand each other and be humble with each other at the same time?
– If I take Brynäs as an example, we were a lot of players with a lot of attitude, at the same time we respected each other and it was necessary for us to develop. Everyone was expected to do what they were supposed to do on the field, but at the same time we were kind and compassionate. In case of a mistake on the ice, we support and take care of that player, then the player feels safe and improves. Kiruna, Brynäs and Toronto have been very inclusive and caring environments.
Were you really treated that way when you came to Toronto Maple Leafs too?
– As I told you, there were suspicions and those who wanted to test me. When I showed that I was ready to do everything for the team, they were very good to me, took care of me and helped me with English and everything related to ice hockey. This also applies to rival teams, the Philadelphia Flyers were completely crazy on the ice, but then they were just as nice and fun to meet.
I don’t like gestures
What do you think of Zlatan Ibrahimovic on the pitch?
– I want to make it clear that I respect Zlatan for what he can do on the pitch, he is a cruel footballer who wants to do a lot and also continues to do so at his age. What I don’t like is the style he has with gestures and language when he doesn’t get what he wants, because you can’t get it all the time but you have to show consideration for others. It’s best to take those discussions in a controlled way in the locker room afterward. So I’ve wondered many times what he does and why he does what he does. Just because you are the best, you cannot do everything on your own and your way.
– When you have the status that he has, it is even more important to show humility. When I came off the ice in Toronto I was no better than the others, I was proud of what I had done, but when I met a stranger I did not know what he had gone through and I met him with respect, so I wanted to ask him. how he felt and helping him in the race in some way, feels very important in life to me. There are also many who have said that Zlatan is a nice guy on the sidelines, I have only quickly visited him once.
Börje Salming made his last season at AIK in the elite series in 1993, the hill was then 42 years old.
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