Zlatan Saves the World, One Goal At A Time

The polarizing player for Paris Saint-Germain made a bold statement after scoring a goal less than 2 minutes into the game against Caen on Saturday. He removed his jersey, but rather than being in celebratory fashion, it was in the likes of charity. The action revealed the names of 50 starving people, that World Food Programme has worked with, temporarily tattooed on his body.  The World Food Programme, who organized the event with Zlatan, put together this video to go along with the game:

The WFP director noted afterwards, “We thought of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is often asked for autographs. Why should it not be Zlatan, this time, who wore the autographs on his skin?”

Zlatan also added, “It’s the first time I have worked publicly with any charity. If we can reach the world’s leaders, I know that we can solve together the problem of hunger in the world.”  In using soccer as a medium for communication, Zlatan has joined the cause to assist the United Nations organization in helping 805 million starving people around the world. He shares a powerful message with the use of a voice over in the video:

‘Wherever I go people recognize me, call my name, cheer for me.’

‘But there are names no one cares to remember. That no one cheers for: the 805m people suffering from hunger in the world today.

‘I have the supporters all over the world. From now on I want this support to go to the people who suffer from hunger, they are the real champions.

‘So whenever you hear my name, you will think of their names.’

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After removing his jersey, Zlatan was issued a yellow card, with the referee giving him a look of, “Come on, you know better.”  Also unhappy about the move was manager, Laurent Blanc – seeming to be unaware of Zlatan’s plans, who emphasized his disapproval in Zlatan taking a yellow card only two minutes into the game and the risk that it carried for the next 88 minutes.  PSG ended the game with only nine players on the field, Zlatan being one.

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Overshadowed by this widely talked about statement, was the fact that PSG gave away a 2 – 0 lead that they had built in the first half, allowing Caen to score twice with only minutes left in the game. The Paris side had to finish the game with only nine men on the field because of two injuries that came after the team had already made its allotted three substitutions. The game ended in a 2 -2 draw with PSG missing out on an opportunity to jump Lyon and Marseille and take first place on the Ligue 1 table.

Undoubtedly, most people will not remember this game as one that PSG let slip away, but as the one where we saw a new variety of Zlatan once again being Zlatan.

Game Highlights:

 

sources:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foot...

http://www.espnfc.com/paris-saint-ger...

http://www.espnfc.us/french-ligue-1/m...