© Getty Images Zlatan Ibrahimovic has revealed he felt really weird watching Sweden play without him and believes there’s far less pressure on the team in his absence. The hulking striker, who won the FIFA Puskás Award 2013 for a breathtaking bicycle-kick against England, ended his 15-year international career following UEFA EURO 2016, having scored a record 62 goals in 116 appearances – 13 more than previous record-holder Sven Rydell.
Sweden kicked off the post-Ibra era with a 1-1 draw at home to the Netherlands in 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ qualifying. They then won 1-0 at Luxembourg, beat Bulgaria 3-0 in Solna and were edged 2-1 in France, which left them third in Group A, behind the Dutch on goal difference and the French by three points.
“The first time, it felt very strange,” explained Ibrahimovic. “It felt different. I sat at home – I had three or four days off, and that doesn’t happen a lot – and I watched the others running around, working out, training and playing games. I w..
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