Former Man United Star Reveals Ed Woodward's Furious Reaction After He 'Ruined' Huge Signing Announcement
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has revealed that Ed Woodward told him he “ruined” a staggering £5m PR plan that Manchester United had in place for his announcement thanks to his post on social media.
The 41-year-old Swedish striker left Paris Saint-Germain in 2016 and completed a sensational free transfer to United.
Ibrahimovic reunited with former Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford and won the Europa League and League Cup during his time at United.
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However, the AC Milan superstar announced to the world first on social media that he planned to sign for United after his four-year spell with PSG.
“Time to let the world know. My next destination is [Man United],” he tweeted in 2016.
Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet received extracts from Ibrahimovic’s book ‘Adrenaline: My Untold Stories,’ with the former United striker opening up about the costly mistake of making his premature announcement.
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Ibrahimovic has claimed all “hell broke loose” after his social media post and super-agent Mino Raiola wanted to “kill” him.
“In fact, I’m going to go on Instagram and write, ‘My next club will be Manchester United,’” he wrote.
“I was so tired of the negotiations that I didn’t think Manchester [United] was listed on the stock exchange.
“You may not make similar announcements if the matter is not clear. All hell broke loose. Mino wanted to kill me.”
Ibrahimovic added: “It’s just my fault, Mino Raiola had nothing to do with it. I lost my patience, that’s all. It felt like I was standing in quicksand trying to do something to take me forward, without thinking about the consequences.
“If the deal goes down now, then that’s it, we’ll let it go. I’m the one who did the wrong thing. I apologise once again.”
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Woodward, who stepped down as United’s executive vice-chairman at the end of 2021, was not happy with Ibrahimovic’s actions.
Ibrahimovic has claimed that United had “planned a surprise campaign” and were ready to use Hollywood-esque special effects for a presentation.
When asked about Woodward’s reaction, he said: “You’ve ruined a £5m PR plan.
“They had planned a surprise campaign and a presentation with special effects a la Hollywood. And I ruined everything with an update on social media.”
Ibrahimovic, who left United in 2018, went on to play for LA Galaxy before returning to Milan for a second spell in 2020. He retired on Sunday evening.
Topics: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Football, Premier League, England, Man Utd
Adnan Riaz