‘I made 325 appearances alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic after letting him sleep on my floor’

Given his prestige within elite football’s upper echelons, as well as his outspoken nature upon being so, it may be hard for some to imagine Zlatan Ibrahimovic being unaccustomed to the sport’s highest level. However, there is one team-mate who knows the Swedish icon better than any other and before the adoration of the masses.

With 325 appearances together, across four different teams, Brazilian left-back Maxwell must have a plethora of intriguing stories. In this article, GIVEMESPORT looks way back at Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s early career, why he’s in debt to a man who he calls a “teddy bear”, and the key moments from the pair’s iconic companionship.

Chalk and Cheese

Zlatan and Maxwell first met at Ajax

This story begins in Amsterdam in 2001. Ajax, of course already renowned for their youth academy, had cast their net once again across the globe and picked up more hot prospects for the future. In this particular summer transfer window, a young Maxwell arrived from Brazil and a fine stint at Cruzeiro. His move was seemingly natural progression, yet the humble defender didn’t see it that way on his arrival that June. “I am happy and surprised by this transfer,” he said. ” A few weeks ago I was not considering a transition to Europe at all. I’m now starting to get used to the idea that I will soon play for Ajax.”

Although self-assured, Maxwell’s calm and likable nature was clear for all to see. This was a young South American who could now test himself at the highest level. His attitude was quite the contrary to the following month’s arrival. After an infamous alleged rejection of Arsenal, where a young Zlatan Ibrahimovic turned down Arsene Wenger’s approach for a trial at the Premier League club, Ajax swept up on the Gunners’ mess and bought the gangly striker from Malmo.

A deal was agreed in March, and the player arrived in July. If Maxwell was humble and softly spoken, then Ibrahimovic made enough noise for the both of them. Speaking of that missed chance in North London, he reminisced:

“Arsene Wenger asked me to have a trial with Arsenal when I was 17. I turned it down. Zlatan doesn’t do auditions.”

Bicycle kicks are seldom not spectacular and Jude Bellingham saved England from Euro 2024 humiliation with a beauty against Slovakia.

A Friendship Blooms

Duo strike it off in Amsterdam

That self-belief and confidence was what inspired some truly iconic moments in his storied career. However, at the very beginning, belief wasn’t exactly paying the bills. Alongside being described as that aforementioned “teddy bear”, Ibrahimovic has called Maxwell the “greatest guy in the world”. In an interview with Goal, the Brazilian revealed why, harking back to the early days in the Netherlands: