Cantona vs. Ibrahimovic: King vs. God

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Jul 18, 2016

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is full of himself. We know that.

In a huff after a rare Paris St. Germain loss in March 2015, the Swede lashed out at the referee and said that PSG was too good for the French league and France was a "s*** country." Not too good, mind you, for him to stick around for another year and take home about $20 million.

After playing out his contract, where would Ibra go for the next season? Not home, that was clear. On the eve of Euro 2016, where he represented Sweden one last time, he said in reference to the domestic league, where he began his career in 1999, "I am too good for the Allsvenskan."

Ibrahimovic, of course, ended up signing with Manchester United, a club steeped in history with former greats like George Best, Bobby Charlton, Eric Cantona and David Beckham, to name a few.

Where will Ibrahimovic stack up? Cantona said he was ready to give Ibrahimovic his No. 7 jersey but not the title of "King of Old Trafford."

"I have a personal message for Zlatan: You decided to go red. It is the best choice you ever made. When you walk into the Theater of Dreams. When you can feel the ghosts of the legends that have been here before. When you score that first goal right in front of Stretford End. When you hear the crowd chanting your name.

"When your heart beats so strong that it bursts out of your chest. When you feel that you will love them as much as they will love you. You will know, my friend, that you finally made it home.

"Just one last thing, there can only be one King in Manchester. You can be the Prince if you want to. And the No. 7 is yours if you are interested. That is my welcome gift to you… The King is gone! Long live the Prince!"

Zlatan does not do "Prince" well and shot back.

"I admire Cantona and I heard what he said," Ibrahimovic was quoted as saying in Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet. "But I won't be King of Manchester. I will be God of Manchester."