Zlatan Ibrahimovic's stint at FC Barcelona didn't last very long and didn't go well, but when he arrived, Lionel Messi was so worried about losing his place that he had to send a message to Pep Guardiola.
After winning the treble in 2008/09, Guardiola signed Ibrahimovic from Inter, with Samuel Eto'o doing the opposite, but the Swede only lasted one season in Spain before joining AC Milan.
Even though he didn't stay long, his presence was enough to worry Messi, who thought his place at Barca was uncertain. In 'The Messi Mystery' by Sebastian Fest and Alex Juillard, via Goal, the book explains that Ibra's arrival forced Messi to send a message to manager Guardiola.
According to the book, the message said, in not very exact words, "I see that I am no longer important to the team, so...", and was sent on the team bus because he was having trouble expressing his feelings in person to Pep.
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner was not the world champion he turned out to be at the time, although he was already becoming one of the best on the planet, and he had already had two poor performances before the arrival of Ibrahimovic.
It was Messi's fourth season in the first team, but the book continues: "Messi had failed to shine in a few games, and Ibrahimovic was playing well." Suddenly, there were complications for the Argentine.
Ibrahimovic's time as the main man was short, however, and soon enough the older man was playing second fiddle to the little Argentine.
Guardiola moved Messi from center to center, and 'Ibra' had to play away, where he netted 47 goals in 53 appearances in all competitions.
By contrast, Ibrahimovic scored 21 goals in 45 appearances for the Catalan giants before returning to Milan, first on loan, then France, England, and the United States before returning to AC Milan.
Speaking of Pep in his own book years later, Ibrahimovic wrote: "When you buy me, you buy a Ferrari." If you drive a Ferrari, you put premium gasoline in the tank, hit the highway, and hit the gas. Guardiola filled up with diesel and took a drive through the countryside. He should have bought a Fiat, "adding." As a coach, he was fantastic. As a person, I have no comment on that. That's another thing. "He is not a man. There is nothing more to say.
Maybe all their problems can be put down to a text sent from Messi's phone on the bus...
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