Jose Mourinho’s first big signing for Man United was Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with all his tattoos.
But what do they all mean, and why does he have so many of them?
In his book “I am Zlatan,” the Swedish football star said that getting tattoos “became like a drug for me.”
Ibrahimovic said that getting a tattoo gave him a “boost” when buying a Ferrari Enzo wasn’t enough. He used to hate the idea of getting a tattoo.
He said: “At first, I was against them. Thought they weren’t good. But I still thought about it.”
He has 14 tattoos on his upper body now. Here are the stories behind each of his interesting designs.
1. Right wrist: These numbers are the birthdates of the men in Ibrahimovic’s family. They are called the “Ibrahimovic code.”
They show his father Sefik, his late brother Sapko, his other brother Aleksander, and the days when his two sons, Maximilian, 9, and Vince, 8, were born.
2. Right arm: On the top of his right arm, the names of his two sons are written in Arabic script.
3. Right bicep: “Sefik” is below them. Zlatan and his father didn’t have much money, and in his book, the striker talks about how they had to carry a bed from Ikea home because they couldn’t pay for delivery.
4. Right oblique: Two cards. People think that the letter “H” inside the ace of hearts was made to honor his wife, Helena Seger. It seems that the ace of clubs is a sign of good luck.
5. Right side: This red dragon, which comes from Japanese culture, shows off his warrior side.
6. Left wrist: On Ibrahimovic’s left wrist, he has the dates of birth of his mother Jurka and sister Sanela. The women in Zlatan’s life, unlike the men, are on the left because they are closer to his heart.
The superstar put the men on the right because he thinks that shows strength.
7. Left bicep: The name of his mother, Jurka, in Arabic script on his left bicep.
8. Stomach: This was Ibrahimovic’s first tattoo, and he says you can only see it when he is tanned.
He said: “My name, written in white ink across my waist, was the first tattoo I ever got. Only when I’m tan can you see it. Mostly, it was a test.”
On the other side, he writes, “Only God can judge me.”
Ibra said this about this tat: “In the papers, they could write anything they wanted. From the stands, yell anything you want.
“Still, they couldn’t reach me. I could only be judged by God. That was good.
“You have to go your own way, so I got that tattooed on my arm.”
9. Left shoulder blade: A grey koi fish. People think the color is important because grey koi live in the wild while orange ones are raised in ponds.
In his book, Ibrahimovic wrote that he chose the koi because it “went against the grain.”
10. Lower back: This is Leonardo da Vinci’s “Vitruvian Man,” a new piece. It shows how people should look, and the first drawing of it was made around 1490.
11. Right shoulder blade: This feather is said to come from an eagle and stand for strength and bravery. It looks like the ancrestry is Native American.
12. Right arm: On his right arm is a sign from his Maori tribe that will protect him and his family and bring them luck.
13. Right shoulder blade: On the right shoulder blade, there is an image of a Buddhist monk called Yant Prajao Khao Nirote. This keeps suffering away.
14. Back: This is another Buddhist piece. It is called the Five Deva Faces Yantra, and it shows the five elements of wind, water, fire, space, and creative perception.
But Ibrahimovic has gotten into trouble in the past because of his tattoos.
Last year, he was told not to take off his shirt before PSG’s match against Chelsea in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Boss Laurent Blanc was upset that the former Milan and Barcelona player got a ticket for showing an extra set of tattoos during a game against Caen.
Then, Ibrahimovic had temporary tattoos of 15 people who were hungry put on him to bring attention to famine around the world.
After scoring against the French team, he took off his shirt to show their names. This was to bring attention to the World Food Program of the United Nations.
At the time, Ibrahimovic said: “When I took off my shirt against Caen, everyone wanted to know what my new tattoos were.
“I had 15 tattoos on my body that could be taken off. They were the names of real people who are hungry in the world.
“No longer have those tattoos, but these people are still here. I hope that I can help you see them.”
But Blanc, the boss, rapped: “If the goal was to show off his tattoos, it worked because it was on the front page of every website in the world. In that way, it was a big win for him and the foundation. But we got a yellow card for it.”
