“He always followed his heart”

The legendary Diego Armando Maradona passed away earlier this week and has since been honored by large sectors of the world of football. Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic came out early, among other things, mourning the death of the former world player.

“Maradona is not dead, he is immortal. God gave the world the best and most talented soccer player of all time. He will live forever and ever,” Ibrahimovic wrote on his social media.

Now, in an interview with Italian Sky, Ibrahimovic tells more about his thoughts on Maradona. The 39-year-old is full of admiration for the former player.

– When you think of the number 10, who do you think of then? He is the symbol of the number 10. People today want the number 10 for Maradona, Ibrahimovic tells Sky and continues:

– I’m very sorry, since Maradona, for me, is more than football. It is a legend and a religion for many. I was lucky to meet him and talk to him. I think it is a symbol of all footballers.

At the same time, Ibrahimovic doesn’t care about Maradona’s previous life off the field. The Argentine had drug addiction problems, which Ibrahimovic does not want to focus on, since he only sees the greatness of Maradona.

– I don’t know if he always made the right decision, but he always followed his heart and that’s why the whole world loved him. He was always himself. Modern football today is made up of many who try to be perfect and who try never to make mistakes. If you want to learn and grow, you must make mistakes. Of course, one does not consciously try to make mistakes, but nobody is perfect from birth, says Ibrahimovic and continues:

– Maradona did everything with his heart and that is why he will always be number 1. I judge him by what he did on the pitch. What he did off the field is, in my opinion, your problem and not ours. We have to remember him for what he did on the field and for that he will always be remembered.

Ibrahimovic is currently injured and therefore misses Milan’s meeting with Fiorentina on Sunday in Serie A. Milan currently leads the Italian league and can snatch the top.