Euro 2016: Sweden failed Zlatan Ibrahimovic by not giving him the farewell he deserved

There have been footballers who have had the chance to bow out with their heads held high, but not all can boast of the same. Miroslav Klose won the World Cup with Germany in his last major tournament, but Xavi endured a forgettable campaign with Spain, who couldn’t progress to the knockout stage of the tournament. No one will ever doubt Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s place among such illustrious names, but it is a real shame that the Sweden captain’s last match for the national side came in such a forgettable fashion, much like the rest of the tournament. For Sweden to have stood a chance in this tournament, their main man had to deliver. Ibrahimovic dragged his country to the finals of the tournament, but didn’t have the same impact in France. [caption id=“attachment_2851248” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Sweden’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic reacts end of the Euro 2016 match against Belgium. AP[/caption] On Thursday night, Sweden faced Belgium knowing they needed three points to qualify for the knock-out stage. They got zero. When any team has one player so clearly head and shoulders above his teammates, it will always be in trouble. The fundamental and obvious problem here is that Ibrahimovic can’t pass to himself, he needs support and quality alongside, something he hasn’t received. Even Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal’s main man, has players of better quality in his team. For Sweden, however, everything rests on whether or not Zlatan performs. The pressure on him to deliver game changing moments when others around him struggle has added to his burden. This was his fourth European Championship and sixth major tournament with Sweden; but unlike in the past, Ibrahimovic has struggled in France, unable to make a significant impact on the pitch in any of the matches. His assist for the side’s only goal of the tournament, an own goal nonetheless, was his only notable contribution. Ciaran Clark’s own goal meant Sweden earned a point against the Republic of Ireland, a game their opponents thoroughly dominated. Sweden barely threatened against Italy and they needed to produce something truly special for a chance at progressing to the knockout stage of the tournament, that too against a side that boasts the likes of Eden Hazard and Kevin de Bruyne. Belgium dominated the first half, but the Swedes began the second period with purpose. They did threaten the Belgian goal, but the problem of lack of finishing persisted. They tried hard and at one stage it did look as though they can get something from the match. There was a typically acrobatic goal from Zlatan, but was disallowed for Marcus Berg’s high foot; it should have stood considering the Belgium defender stooped very low to head the ball away. But Belgium never seriously looked alarmed and didn’t let their stronghold wither. An 84th minute screamer by Chelsea target Radja Nainggolan finally managed to beat Swedish goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson, who otherwise enjoyed a great outing. This was the first game in which Erik Hamren’s men played like they belonged at the illustrious tournament. There was purpose to their attack and they were offensive and positive for a majority of the match. Having gone through 180 minutes without registering a shot on target, they had four from 12 in this game. In a tournament where Swedish players failed to score a single goal, there are a few positives for them; it would be unfair to not mention them at all. The defence did well, conceded just one goal per game, one of which was Nainggolan’s unstoppable strike from outside the box. Had their attacking players done well, it could have been a real asset to have such a mean defence. Martin Ollson, in particular, was excellent; he was Sweden’s man-of-the-tournament. The left-back threatened regularly on the flank. Ibrahimovic would have normally enjoyed that kind of crossing and passing from the left flank, but he was inexplicably playing deeper, in a position where he wasn’t allowed to be his threatening best. Swedish fans also deserve a mention. The bright yellow they wear makes the sea of support seem more prominent from the stands, but despite some very lacklustre performances, they were always seen at every match, consistently behind their team. It’s a shame that their support went unrewarded. Erik Hamren also managed his last game for Sweden and bids adieu to the national set-up. His tactics, which have been discussed in depth plenty of times before, and Sweden’s below-par performances in this tournament, would mean his farewell is easier to handle for fans, who are mostly happy to see his back and are now ready for change. Of course, the same cannot be said about their star player, someone Hamren played a key role in reintegrating into the side after Zlatan took a break from international football after Sweden failed to make it to the 2010 World Cup. As he carried his side to the finals of Euro 2016 after an exciting and exhausting two-legged playoff with Denmark, fans hoped his international career could finish with one last hurrah. Sadly it wasn’t to be. There was no repeat of the obscene overhead kick he scored against England in a friendly four years ago, a goal described by Steven Gerrard as the “best goal I have ever seen” (and Gerrard has scored a few good goals himself) or his strike against Italy at Euro 2004. Zlatan Ibrahimovic looked bereft after Nainggolan gave Belgium the lead so late in the game, knowing Sweden were close to going home prematurely in the European Championship. He admitted he hadn’t performed well in the tournament, in a rare display of self-criticism from the player. Raised by a Bosnian-Muslim father and a Croatian-Catholic mother, Ibrahimovic could well be called an outsider. But every time he donned the yellow of Sweden, he gave his everything for his nation. Time and again, he has put on quality performances and showed commitment, which is what the team, coach and fans want from their captain. Time and again, Zlatan delivered. Despite an early exit, Zlatan Ibrahimovic leaves like a legend for Sweden as well. No one can dispute that.