Players in football need to have at least some confidence to feel comfortable on the pitch. We have seen many examples of players who lack confidence and therefore have struggled to succeed in the sport. Then there is the opposite. There are players who have a lot of confidence in themselves and some have even called them arrogant. In this article I will go through players who are “arrogant” and I will also go through the thought process of confident players.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
The first player that comes to mind when you think of football and confidence, is the Swedish tall-man, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Zlatan has played for some of the biggest clubs in Europe and won some of the biggest trophies in the world, so he has a reason to think highly of himself. Zlatan is pretty much a king in his home country, Sweden, and at one point, he was voted as the Swedish player of the year 10 years in a row (Mirror).
Here are many famous quotes of Zlatan that show his confidence/arrogance:
“One thing is for sure, a World Cup without me is nothing to watch so it is not worthwhile to wait for the World Cup.” (FourFourTwo)
“Only God knows... You’re talking to him now.” (FourFourTwo)
“If I had played in England I would have destroyed it, like I have everywhere else.” (FourFourTwo)
Zlatan very much proved himself on the last quote because on his first season with Manchester United he scored a whopping 28 goals, an amazing achievement for a-then 35-year old striker. It is debatable weather Zlatan is joking when he makes outlandish statements about himself.
Cristiano Ronaldo
The 5-time Ballon D’or winner is known for his incredible skills, technique, goal-scoring and...his arrogance. Ronaldo has a reason to think he is the best player in the world but he displays his pride that some people interpret as showing-off and being disrespectful. While it is true that he is very charitable and a great and a loving father, there are times when fans all around the world cringe ate his level of arrogance. During the Euro 2016 competition after a 1-1 draw against Iceland, Iceland’s captain, Aron Einar Gunnarsson, wanted to swap shirts with the Portuguese star. Ronaldo showed very little enthusiasm and was heavily criticised by Icelandic fans and football fans all around the world for his disrespectful behaviour. According to an Independent report, Ronaldo said that he was “made to be the best” and he even compared himself to the Lord himself, God. In that same report by the Independent where he was interviewed by the Spanish newspaper, Mundo Deportivo, Ronaldo made it clear that he does not worry about criticism, saying: "There are people out there who hate me and who say I'm arrogant, vain and whatever. That's all part of my success. I am made to be the best,". Another example of his arrogance is when he built himself a museum. Really. Ronaldo has looked at life differently since he became a father so it is unclear weather we will see “a more arrogant Ronaldo” more regularly.
Joey Barton
The former Newcastle player has had many embarrassing moments in his life. He is mostly known for putting on a French accent at a press conference when he joined Marseille, despite being from Liverpool. He is also known for criticising the Brazilian super-star, Neymar, back in 2013, comparing him to Justin Bieber. Barton tweeted: “Neymar is the Justin Bieber of football. Brilliant on the old YouTube. Cat piss in reality…”. Another example of his arrogance and questionable behaviour is when he mocked the size of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s nose to his face and when he kicked Sergio Aguero a few seconds after receiving a red card in the last game of the 2011-12 season in the Premier League. The Icelandic commentator and historic legend, Guðmundur Benediktsson, had an interesting reaction to Barton’s cruel act.
Here is a video of Gudmundur Benediktsson’s commentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI9Xq6rh_o8
Thought process and Muhammad Ali
It is very interesting to explore the mindset of footballers, especially footballers who think highly of themselves. Everybody learns at a very young age that it is good have faith in yourself. “If you put your mind into it, you can accomplish anything” (quote from Back to the Future). Footballers aren’t the only athletes who have the “I am the greatest” sort-of mindset. The most notable athlete in the world that had the “I am the greatest” mindset was the world-champion, Muhammad Ali. As a boxer, you have to have confidence and a sense of self-worth to accomplish something in the sport.
Here are a few quotes from Muhammad Ali (all of the quotes were taken from a USA Today article):
"I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was."
“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'”
“I’m not the greatest, I’m the double greatest.”
“Braggin' is when a person says something and can’t do it. I do what I say.”
Muhammad Ali was an athlete who proved to the world that he was the greatest, so it is difficult to say weather he was arrogant or not (he was definitely not delusional). Muhammad Ali’s mindset inspired many people to do something in their life. One example is Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Zlatan said this about Muhammad Ali shortly after Ali’s death:
“For me he was a big inspiration. He was my idol. This was one of my dreams to meet him but it will not happen, but, what he did in the ring and outside the ring, nobody will reach halfway of what he did. He put it color, not for one country, put it color for the whole world and what he stood for. So he’s a big inspiration to take after. “ (BeanyManSports)
Conclusion (and personal thoughts)
I have always been very interested in the mindset of footballers (and athletes in general). I believe that football is not only about being in good shape and knowing how to kick a ball but also about having confidence and having the right mindset. Of course there are fantastic players who have stayed humble their entire life (N’Golo Kanté for example), and have no need to publicly announce their pride. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo are one of the greatest footballers in the world, and having a lot of confidence is a part of their personality and brand. Joey Barton is someone that has played in some of the strongest leagues in the world but has not reached the same heights as Ronaldo and Zlatan. Confidence is important but some people think that footballers tend to go a little too far in their “self-love”.
Post by: Ólafur Hálfdan Pálsson
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