Ibrahimovic: “To young players I say ‘Eat or Be Eaten!'”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, senior advisor to RedBird Capital and operational right-hand man to AC Milan owner Gerry Cardinale, was a guest on CBS Mornings during Milan’s US tour. The former Swedish star discussed (via Calciomercato) his new role working closely with the team:

“Playing football is simpler compared to what I’m doing today, but I’m learning. I’m going through a learning phase, I’m humble. It’s a different angle from what I was used to, but I have great professionals around me, so…”

On his relationship with the players, Ibrahimovic joked: “As long as they’re winning, everything’s fine with me. The problem is when they start losing. We came with a different attitude, but it’s okay. The problem is that I can’t influence the game like I used to, so you have to transfer your attitude, your mentality, your experience to other players, but they’re working well.”

Ibrahimovic also offered advice to young players aspiring to become established stars: “It depends on how far you want to go. I believed in discipline and hard work, which always pay off. So from a young age, you have to prepare mentally because when you arrive on the big stages, you either eat or get eaten. With young kids today, you have to get to know them first and then push them.”

Finally, Ibra tried to explain his persona beyond being a sports icon: “Is Zlatan a character? No, Zlatan is me. Many people often ask me if I’m acting, but no. What you see is me. Where I come from, it was important to be confident, you had to fend for yourself and prove to yourself that you were the best, not just in football or anything I’ve done, like in school. I think it’s important because when you enter this world, 50% is a matter of mindset.”