Zlatan Saves the World, One Goal At A Time

By | February 18, 2015

The polarizing player for Paris Saint-Germain made a bold statement after scoring a goal less than 2 minutes into the game against Caen on Saturday. He removed his jersey, but rather than being in celebratory fashion, it was in the likes of charity. The action revealed the names of 50 starving people, that World Food Programme has worked with, temporarily tattooed on his body.  The World Food Programme, who organized the event with Zlatan, put together this video to go along with the game:

The WFP director noted afterwards, “We thought of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is often asked for autographs. Why should it not be Zlatan, this time, who wore the autographs on his skin?”

Zlatan also added, “It’s the first time I have worked publicly with any charity. If we can reach the world’s leaders, I know that we can solve together the problem of hunger in the world.”  In using soccer as a medium for communication, Zlatan has joined the cause to assist the United Nations organization in helping 805 million starving people around the world. He shares a powerful message with the use of a voice over in the video:

‘Wherever I go people recognize me, call my name, cheer for me.’

‘But there are names no one cares to remember. That no one cheers for: the 805m people suffering from hunger in the world today.

‘I have the supporters all over the world. From now on I want this support to go to the people who suffer from hunger, they are the real champions.

‘So whenever you hear my name, you will think of their names.’

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After removing his jersey, Zlatan was issued a yellow card, with the referee giving him a look of, “Come on, you know better.”  Also unhappy about the move was manager, Laurent Blanc – seeming to be unaware of Zlatan’s plans, who emphasized his disapproval in Zlatan taking a yellow card only two minutes into the game and the risk that it carried for the next 88 minutes.  PSG ended the game with only nine players on the field, Zlatan being one.

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Overshadowed by this widely talked about statement, was the fact that PSG gave away a 2 – 0 lead that they had built in the first half, allowing Caen to score twice with only minutes left in the game. The Paris side had to finish the game with only nine men on the field because of two injuries that came after the team had already made its allotted three substitutions. The game ended in a 2 -2 draw with PSG missing out on an opportunity to jump Lyon and Marseille and take first place on the Ligue 1 table.

Undoubtedly, most people will not remember this game as one that PSG let slip away, but as the one where we saw a new variety of Zlatan once again being Zlatan.

Game Highlights:

 

sources:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2954515/Zlatan-Ibrahimovic-tattooed-names-50-starving-people-body.html

http://www.espnfc.com/paris-saint-germain/story/2300282/zlatan-ibrahimovic-tattoos-names-of-people-suffering-from-starvation

http://www.espnfc.us/french-ligue-1/match/393463/paris-saint-germain-caen/report

7 thoughts on “Zlatan Saves the World, One Goal At A Time

  1. Shiv Gidumal

    This post really exemplifies the qualities of soccer that we emphasize in our Soccer Politics class. Although Zlatan Ibrahimovic is often depicted as a classically apathetic superstar, he used his position as a world-famous footballer to send a political message. Soccer provides a stage for all of its players to speak to the massive fan-base. Ibra surprised many people by, in his words, “working with a charity for the first time,” and he has started to eschew his reputation as a cold, disconnected superstar.

    Reply
  2. sep32@duke.edu

    I also really enjoyed this post because it adds to a discussion that we’ve been having in class about the use of the soccer pitch as a “stage” to demonstrate ideas and make statements that might not be made as easily in a different context. Obviously, there was a small penalty for Zlatan’s actions, but the fact that his form of “protest” came in the form of a post-goal celebration gave it an intentional but less aggressive/controversial character. I think it is important that players continue to leverage their fame and physical exposure to so many fans and viewers to support causes and make statements that are not necessarily relevant to soccer because it shows that their concerns extend beyond the game and that they do not take their position in the spotlight for granted. I am especially proud to see a player like Zlatan take action in support of a less salient cause, as most recent instances of professional athletes taking political or social stances have been in the wake of more serious and pressing controversies (and not persistent issues like world hunger).

    Reply
  3. Hector Morales

    I really enjoyed your post and the story in general. I am deeply saddened by the fact that the PSG publicly disapproved f Zlatan’s actions. I know it ended up costing him a yellow card but I believe that the benefits outweigh the costs. Even Zlatan himself said it, it is the FIRST time he has partnered with an organization like this which just goes to show how important this moment was. He strongly believed in cause and he went ahead and made it publicly known. Good for you Zlatan!

    I also found it interesting how the public reacted to Zlatan’s actions. For the most part, he was praised for standing up for a cause and using his image, which is known worldwide, to promote it. Yet, this is totally the opposite reaction Cristiano Ronaldo got when he used his image to raise awareness for a cause. During the 2014 World Cup Ronaldo cut his hair to match the scar of a young fan who had surgery to remove a brain tumor. Ronaldo was mocked for his new hair that some said “ranked pretty badly among some of the worst haircuts seen at this World Cup.” So why does Zlatan receive praise while Cristiano was laughed at? This is a topic the the author could look into next.

    Lastly, Zlatan’s actions makes me wonder whether or not this trend will catch on. Will more players start to advertise certain organizations during the game ? If, so then will it eventually get to the point where they start doing it for a profit? Just a couple things to think about.

    Thank you for your post.

    Reply
  4. Helena Wang

    Thanks for sharing this article about Zlatan. He has always been known as a somewhat arrogant player so it is great to see him doing something wonderful like this. It is interesting to see the juxtaposition between Zlatan’s action and how Blanc reacted to it. Blanc being worried about Zlatan missing the next game due to the yellow card that was distributed shows how soccer can be a publicity platform that may have consequences, however minute, attached to it. Hopefully, more players will start to take similar stances and conversation can take place on how these gestures should be treated in the future.

    Reply
  5. Ben Scharf

    I agree with Tomas that this post was surprising in that it showed the world a different side of one of the very best soccer players, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. It really impressed me the the prolific scorer used his talents to promote a such a significant cause as world hunger. When superstar athletes, who are so privileged and live such comfortable lives, take the time and effort to recognize such a profound global problem, like global hunger, that they do not experience, I believe it better highlights the importance and gravity of the situation. This instance reminded me of when the Iranian national team wore green wristbands in support of the ongoing rallies in their home country for a change in government. As stated in your post, soccer matches are often seen by millions of people and public protests by players of this sort can be extremely powerful and reach a vast audience.

    Reply
  6. Tomas

    I absolutely love this article. It shows such a different side of Zlatan than what we are not used to. It is indeed a shame that Blanc and the ref were not on the same page, but it is still wonderful to see players as powerful as Zlatan take a stance against a world problem they are fighting against; in this case, world hunger. It would be interesting to see any other big players such as Messi or Ronaldo take similar stances even though soccer leagues around the globe are cracking down on what players can display on their shirts after scoring a goal. After all, what better place to make a statement where millions of people are watching on live TV? This will be interesting to see how these small gestures are monitored and perceived in the future. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    1. Ben Scharf

      I agree with Tomas that this post was surprising in that it showed the world a different side of one of the very best soccer players, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. It really impressed me the the prolific scorer used his talents to promote a such a significant cause as world hunger. When superstar athletes, who are so privileged and live such comfortable lives, take the time and effort to recognize such a profound global problem, like global hunger, that they do not experience, I believe it better highlights the importance and gravity of the situation. This instance reminded me of when the Iranian national team wore green wristbands in support of the ongoing rallies in their home country for a change in government. As stated in your post, soccer matches are often seen by millions of people and public protests by players of this sort can be extremely powerful and reach a vast audience.

      Reply

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