Transcription
Did you ever enjoy your achievements when you were active?
>> No.
>> Same thing.
>> The moments of greatness or being in sport for me was always the best parts were the moments leading up to the big moment.
When is good, you don't learn a lot. When it's difficult, you you learn much more. And you become stronger, especially here. And that will show who you are in the end. I always remembered where I started which was as a kid behind everybody else. I was you once but I was also the kid that wanted what you had once too. So you better figure it out. I always remember your bicycle kick in Sweden England.
>> In that situation is you become like wow or you become what are you doing but only the genius would do >> the one out of that's me.
>> That's why I love you. we'd have been good teammates.
>> Uh, all right guys, so obviously uh professional athlete, star athletes at the height of your careers. When you look back around what age do you remember aspiring to be a professional athlete?
>> What does it mean? Aspiring.
>> So aspire means that you um you thought about becoming one or you really looked um you loved the idea of becoming
>> Since the day I was born. Yeah.
>> It's a good time.
>> What exactly was in your mind when you were born that allowed you to think about
>> I was born? I told myself you're going to be the one. You are the one. No, for me it was around obviously I had a different background where I came from with my background was not was not the people with the same background didn't have the same success as I had because I came from a different situation and uh obviously if I go fast forward in front I opened the doors for many athletes with my background but
>> but let's say when I was 17 I had a I had a teammate. He was on trial with us. So I played in Malme in Sweden and he said after one week if you don't make it it's your own fault. And that got me thinking like what does it what does he mean? Like
>> and then I figure out it's all it's up to me if I'm going to make it or not. I decide my own destiny and uh I just had to work hard for it. And then from there things started to change obviously a little bit luck moment momentum and uh but I always had the confidence that I would make it because my confidence not ego confidence
>> that I was better than the other ones and uh nobody could stop me but obviously with hard work and and because of the situation I was in I had to work more than the other ones because where I come from people were typical blonde, blue eyes, and the Swedish was perfect. My Swedish was not perfect. Sound like a villain, but it worked out anyway. And uh and I had to work more to show myself and to to get a get opportunity. And from there, when I got my first professional contract, from there I was I was flying.
>> Yeah. Did you have like the desire and the passion like when you were in your teens like you turned 12 or 13? Did you ever envision yourself having the career that you had or did it take a series of steps that were like, "Wow, I could become, you know,
>> so I I moved around a lot. I'm not the one that was in one club like 20 25 years. I I like to challenge myself. I take my backpack. I go to different gardens which means different countries, different clubs,
>> challenge myself if I was able to play my game in outside my comfort zone.
>> Yeah.
>> And uh obviously steps by steps because of the the level the development. So my first my first abroad outside my comfort zone was was Amsterdam. So I come to the that was a development team that played high level, played Champions League, played
>> against the big teams,
>> but the level was not the same as Premier League, Syria.
>> Yeah.
>> Or the La Liga, Spain. So, and I wanted to go there to to to develop my own game because of the way they were playing.
>> They they have a pretty special way of playing
>> and but was difficult. That was really difficult. The first year I was like after three months I called my old club please can you bring me back and they were like no the money is finished and now I had a some I had a record transfer transfer fee where uh when I moved to to to Ajax and uh and I had to go through that because was was a battle against myself mentally.
>> Yeah. And obviously the game itself was not easy in the beginning because was a different level full of talents. Everybody wanted to go to the next next level next stage and the next stage was like the top of the top like the where the big players were playing. So first year second year got better third year I was that became my comfort zone. So I it became my home and where I confidence was always had confidence but sometimes you come in areas where you feel a little bit unsure if you're doing the right thing or not.
>> Yeah.
>> The first coach I had there he didn't talk to me for eight months for example.
>> Wow.
>> And I was like talking to the sport director and asked him how is everything. No no everything is perfect. Don't worry. And I was not even playing. So I was like okay. And the coach wouldn't talk to me. I don't know if that was his approach to put me in my place or just the way he was working but it was not working with me because I was a little bit lost in a way like if I'm doing good or not and when you're not playing you're thinking you're not doing good doing good enough but it can be also a way like patient your time is coming wait for the right moment or you need to work on this and that but then we got a second coach there for the for the after the eight months we played and from there slowly slowly I was getting into it but the third year was better and then then I went to the big scene like I was playing with players that I used to play in PlayStation with.
>> Yeah. than I was. But my thing was they saw me as the little cocky one with no respect. But that's was not about that was me want to become better and and and show that I'm better than than everybody around me.
>> Yeah.
>> So that was but step by step I took. So not from one thing to the big stage. Yeah. Because obviously when you make a move, you need to see if it's the right thing for you. The way they play,
>> the right surrounding like not to go too fast because I was 19 when I moved and you have players that went like five, 15, 16 already.
>> Yeah.
>> So, you need to take time, become mature, and then really go for it.
>> Yeah. It's always a step. And just last thing for you, you know, like now there's a lot of young kids in Sweden that saw you in your career. It's like I want to be like,
>> yes,
>> Zlatan. When you were their age, who did you look at and you go, man, that those are the guys that I for sure was not Sweden because Sweden I took for breakfast and the world I took for lunch and then the world I took for dinner. So that was my way of thinking. But I had this Ronaldo Brazilian. He was my
>> He was unbelievable.
>> Yeah, he was amazing. He was He was football. He was not playing. He whatever. So when you see players and you try to copy them,
>> that's the player.
>> Yeah. So when he was doing his thing, I remember I used to be in in school and I used to sneak in in the library because they had the computers there and I walk in and I go went on YouTube because we didn't have social media on that time and I used to write his name Ronaldo the phenomenal and see his actions on YouTube
>> then I used to memorize it and then when I was training I I tried to do the same thing. So he was my example idol in the beginning was okay because I was a little bit shorter but then I started to grow grow and I became like 190 something too tall
>> I couldn't move the same way he was but I tried to have it in me but let's do it in my way and my speed was not the same speed so he was the the one I tried to copy and he was the the objective or an example le for the way I wanted to play. But then obviously you you get your own you have your own abilities, your own quality depending of the profile you are and and the way you think also. But he was he was amazing. It was something else.
>> Oh, he's incredible.
>> So Tom, what was the moment when you thought you would be the goat
>> Oh man.
>> of your of your sport, let's say. Yeah, I um I had a lot of challenges when I was a younger player, high school. Um I loved playing football, but I wasn't the best at it.
>> Was it only football or you did also
>> lot of other sports and I was pretty good at all the other sports. In fact, there's one sport in America, baseball, that I was actually really good at.
>> And the high school that I went to, probably in my area, in my era of watching sports, he was the greatest baseball player ever. His name was Barry Bonds. Played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and played for the San Francisco Giants. And he's the greatest baseball player that I've ever seen in my life. He went to my high school. So, we as high school kids, we looked at him and our whole program was based on baseball.
>> But I played baseball. We was I was pretty good at it. And then I kind of started playing football because there was a football team in the same area, the San Francisco 49ers, that were the best football team.
>> Yeah.
>> In kind of the era of the 80s and 90s. So it was really unique growing up in an area where you had this great football kind of a all around the the the city.
>> Did you start with baseball or football?
>> Started with baseball.
>> Baseball. Okay.
>> And then I kind of found this love of football when I started playing in high school even though we weren't very good. Okay.
>> So I always consider myself a late bloomer
>> physically that I was always trying to catch the other guys who had been playing football longer and that were a little more physically developed. And I was always pretty young for my for my age. Um, and I ended up in my last year of high school getting a offer to go to college at one of the best schools in America for football.
>> Okay.
>> And rather than go play baseball, I decided I wanted to play football instead. But even when I went there, and right now it's still probably one of the top teams in the United States for football, there was a lot of other guys that were better than I was. So I had to just keep working and keep trying to catch him. But it was all a really good lesson for me. And I think the biggest blessing I had was you always say like when did I know that I would, you know, be a let's say even a significant player in the NFL? I never had that feeling. I was always I kind of had a very naive belief that things would work out the way that I wanted to. But when I look back now, I'm like, "Oh my god, I can't. It's still hard to believe that,
>> you know, it was almost like a false confidence in yourself, whereas I think a lot of other people would have seen me at the same time being like, "No, no, no. You should probably think about doing something else." Okay?
>> And I was like, "No, no, why? Because I'm going to go and I'm going to go to Michigan. I'm going to play good and then, no, I'm going to get drafted to play and I'm going to play good wherever I get drafted to." And everyone's like, "Hold on." Like, they're not see what was coming out of my mouth. They weren't visualizing. Okay?
>> But for me, I was visualizing it. And I always thought as I went and I was like 23, 24 years old, that's when I really started gaining a lot of confidence. And then
>> were you still in college at that?
>> I just finished college and I did well in college.
>> Okay.
>> And then I got drafted to play professionally and then where I went to the Patriots. There was another player there that was one of the most talented players in the league and I had to he was the position I was.
>> Okay. But you always played in the same position when you were young.
>> Yeah.
>> With football.
>> Yeah. Okay.
>> Because football you kind of specialize pretty quickly.
>> Okay.
>> But based on size, speed, talent, they kind of put you into a certain place.
>> And then as I got to be in my professional, my second year as a professional, we won the Super Bowl and I was playing. And after that, two years later, we won my second Super Bowl. The year after that, we won my third Super Bowl. So,
>> did they always believe in you since youth wherever you came or you were struggling there?
>> I was struggling. Understand what I mean?
>> Yeah, I was struggling. But I'll say this, the the the greatest thing that ever happened to me as an athlete was I struggled.
>> Okay?
>> Because when you struggle, you have to figure out
>> other ways to achieve your goal. I think the biggest problem with a lot of young athletes today is when it comes too easily, they never learn discipline. They never learn resilience. They never learn how to overcome the challenges. They want things so easy all the time. And the reality, when you get to sport and you're trying to win a World Cup, it's not easy. So, you're going to come up and you're going to be losing in games. You're going to be losing. There's going to be 80,000 people, you know, against you. Well, what are you going to do? Are you going to go, "Oh, this is too hard. Let me, you know, put me on the bench or let me make sure I don't touch the ball, you know, let me find my way from the ball." Or when I get it, let me give it up to somebody else. And football is the same way. How do I hide so that no one can really see the lack of confidence that I have? Whereas the good players, they're like, "Oh, you want to be great? No, no, no. Give me the ball. I want to show you how great I am." And over a period of time for me in college and in my young career, I wanted the challenges. The harder you made it for me, the better I did. And that's where a lot of the competition fell off. So I always think for people,
>> were you always confident and secure when you stepped in those uh let's say moments.
>> Yeah.
>> Always confident.
>> I think as a young athlete, you're looking and trying to your confidence is very in my opinion very fragile as a young athlete. Yeah,
>> you know, when you have a good game, you have a lot of confidence. When you have a poor game, you lose your confidence. And it's until you become really, you know, ultra confident who you are that even if you have a bad game, you go, "Okay, it was just a bad game, but I'm still a great player." But you always have to feel like you're on the edge, too. Like I don't ever think in sport you should ever A great player never feels entitled. True.
>> A great player goes, "No, no, no. If I'm going to win today, I need the same effort, energy, training, playing well, precise discipline. I mean, that's where to me, like you got a lot of your confidence. I got my confidence is in the routines that you had and you set for yourself. So that you knew when you took the pitch,
>> you had an advantage based on the work you did leading up to that moment.
>> Like it couldn't be like, well, no, I'm Zlatan, so therefore everyone's going to roll over. In fact, they probably make it harder for you. They make sure you don't touch the ball and then when you do touch it, there's people on you or they're not giving you the shots you want.
>> True.
>> And then you've got to overcome that and outsmart them. And then once you start getting older, then it gets easier because you're like
>> Yeah. Because you have experience and then you go Yeah. And the moment you felt that you were on top, let's say there comes a moment every athlete feels when you're top of the world because you're when you feel untouchable.
>> When was that moment? I got I would say it in like 2004 um it was my fifth year in the NFL.
>> Okay.
>> I started to feel like I know exactly what I'm doing. 2005 was better 2006. 2007 we had an undefeated year for the Patriots. The first time in the NFL. Second time where there was an undefeated team. We went 16-0. We won our first two playoff games. We got to the Super Bowl against the Giants and then we lost to the Giants in the Super Bowl. We finished 18-1. But to me that was elite elite. We were almost unbe we were unbeatable up until the very end.
>> And then I really tried to carry that level for the rest of my career. And then I always felt like I had to
>> you always double down on what you believe in. Like once you get the routine the way you want it with your training, your regimen, your diet, your exercise, your off days, the mental preparation and football is very technical. You know, there's a lot of strategy and a lot of those things you have to implement every single week. So I just got better at the routine and when I got better at the routine, then my practices got better. When the practice got better, then my game was always very solid. So I just think there was a element for me that always had to go back to I always remembered where I started.
>> Okay,
>> which was as a kid behind everybody else. And then once I passed everybody, I was still going to work twice as hard to make sure no one else caught me cuz there's always a younger player that wants what you want.
>> And like you try to convey that to other people now. Listen, I was I was you once, but I was also the kid that wanted what you had once, too. So you better figure it out.
>> And when it comes to the mental part, did you talk to somebody or not? Because I remember myself when I started to come in a in a let's say on a level that everything around me was happening in a bad way or in a good way.
>> And I was like asking my teammates, the experienced one, what should I do to change the situation? And they were like, "We don't actually I asked one person, his name is Henry Larson. He was my teammate
>> in Sweden." He said,
>> "I don't know because nobody has been in your situation because was such a hype when I came
>> and started to play my game."
>> That's why I ask you if you had somebody you could lean to, talk to, or you did it your own way because me, I had to find my own path.
>> Yeah.
>> And I decided nobody can help me. I can only help myself.
>> But on the way, I will have bumps. I will do mistakes. I will do good and then from there I will find the let's say the right path for success. That's why I ask if you had somebody you could lean to.
>> Yeah, it's a great point. I think there's along the way it's just a blessing I think for me was you know there's a great saying the the teacher appears when the student is ready
>> and it could be for different parts of your career. Could be the physical part like how do I become a better passer of the ball? How do I improve my footwork? You know, how do I improve my training and my my recovery? The mental part was how do I learn how to study the film? How do I become more efficient with my preparation? How do I make sure that on the game plan I'm really locked in on every play? And then the emotional component, which is how do I bring that competitive winning desire
>> every single day to what I'm doing? You know, because when you're the leader of the team and you become one of the top players, you can't have a day off.
>> No. for you. They're all going to look at you and go, "How's Latan? Is he ready?" Well, you're ready. They got to get ready. They can't be any less prepared than you if you're prepared.
>> So to me, it was all these people.
>> When did you feel you were that leader? Because obviously
>> I was always good at
>> okay from since college and Okay. So you took responsibility
>> from early age.
>> The only part which I it's really interesting and I think about this a lot for athletes. Like if I was to say to you, who are the greatest players ever? Yes, naturally you'll probably say players that have some amazing physical traits,
>> but the ones that have the elite mental, emotional, they know the game, they see the game like Zidon.
>> Yeah.
>> You see the angles, you see what he's thinking, the the
>> how magic he is with his vision and his ability to set other players up and when to make the right pass or when to
>> take the right shot. And then you know every day is like you know exactly what you're going to get. To me we always undervalue the mental emotional and we overvalue the physical. And I think the physical everyone needs a baseline level of performance. But I think what derails a lot of players is the mental and emotional component of their well-being.
>> Like they don't study that hard. Like I you could name a lot of like Hernaldo Hono you know Neymar. You look at some of the great Brazilian players, they're amazing, physically gifted,
>> but I think there's parts that like,
>> you know, you have to see the whole picture. Even
>> when I believe me, the mental part is bigger, more important than the physical.
>> So, how do you evaluate and because you to me like I always remember your free kick your bicycle kick in Sweden, England
>> and it was like you saw the goalie come out and then immediately you're thinking, if I can get the ball,
>> let me do something with it. the guy tries to head the ball over your head, you attack it
>> and then in an incredible physical, you know, trait and ability you had, you made it.
>> But the point is is the physical thing is one thing, but your thought proc decision in a short period of time process situation. Oh my god, I think the goal and then to make that the mental part to me
>> exceeded what even you did physically.
>> Yeah. But if I explain more about that moment, it was like if you succeed,
>> I want to hear about that moment cuz that moment was insane.
>> No, the whole the whole uh let's say from the beginning English fans, they don't like me because I never scored against them and they just saw me as a primadona with the ponytail and he's not good enough because he didn't score against the English team.
>> And we had a opener I think you say for the stadium, brand new. This was the first game against England
>> and I was pumped the whole week because I said this this England team I'm gonna It was a friendly game. Was not a
>> competition game, but I said I'm gonna show them who I am. Like I was like pumped and we start the game. I scored the opening
>> the first goal in the stadium and it went on went on and we were winning 32 and I scored the three goals.
>> It was missing I think like five 10 minutes. What do you do in the end of the game? You're wasting time because you want to win the game. Yeah. And then this moment came like exactly like you explained. The goalkeeper comes out. I run against the goalkeeper and I'm like in my head. Let's do a faint faint go against him.
>> Yeah.
>> He puts it over me because that's experience now.
>> Yeah.
>> He puts it over me and while he's jumping up I turn back because I know more or less where he want to put the ball behind me.
>> So when he does that I turn around. I go for the ball. But as a striker, I know where the goal is. Like I don't need to see where the goal is because
>> the only thing I needed to do now was have the angle versus the goal behind because I wanted to do a bicycle kick.
>> I can assure you from 10 players, nine players would not do that.
>> Yeah.
>> Because they would say stop the ball, waste time.
>> Yeah.
>> But only the genius would do
>> Yeah.
>> the one out of That's me. Anyway, I did a bicycle and I just saw the ball go over me and go go go like towards the goal and then I saw the defender like running and wanted to to clean clean the ball and I was like don't touch the ball. Let it go in. He was like barely touching and it went in and then everything exploded. Yeah,
>> everything is
>> but in that situation is
>> or you become like wow or you become what are you doing like this is this is just a showman do like he doesn't take the game serious in a way because obviously you have these guys that are competitive and like would really like when you do a trick in our in our game let's say I will say soccer now because in my world is you could say football come on you my football like you do tricks and that the fans go crazy but it's not okay for everybody because they would say listen don't waste time you're not on YouTube you're not on social media
>> and that was a moment like make it simple and just waste time or whatever but no only the crazy one would do opposite and that's how I see myself when I play the game you have to dare to like try to risk to make it or you will never never succeed in that way
>> and I used to do this
>> opposite when what would what the other ones would do but is a mental thing because
>> that's why the mental I would say is more than 50% of the game
>> because
>> is there a way to train people's or is that more inherent in just their vision processing
>> there is two things that's why I ask you with the leader you were leader since you were young because I I believe either you're leader or you're not leader. Then we can be leaders in different ways. We have for example Modric in Milan. He's a leader
>> but he's not outspoken. He's not speaking a lot and that but he's a leader on the pitch. So he does the leading thing on the pitch with his quality with his abilities. Then you have the leaders that is outspoken like take responsibility in a different way. When there is a heat, he steps in front and take care of it. And then that is about the lead. Then you have the mental the mentality and the mental part of the player. And I think that shapes for whatever you go through obviously like you said was never easy for you that I think the mental part there was working more than the than your actually quality on the on the pitch because
>> when is good you don't learn a lot. when it's difficult you you learn much more and you become stronger especially here
>> and that will show who you are in the end.
>> Yeah.
>> So I think the the mental part shapes within the time.
>> Yeah.
>> I mean if you have it easy all the time
>> you expect it to be easy.
>> Yeah.
>> Then when the difficult moment comes you're a little bit lost like what's going on.
>> I mean I was young I had it always tough. I was raised in a in an aggressive environment, but for us was normal. But if a third person from outside would look at it, they would say, "What are they doing? They're they're too aggressive." And and the way I was playing was also aggressive because it's the way I was. I didn't mean any nothing negative or nothing bad to somebody. It's just the way I was raised and I brought it with me. So when I was at best was when I was angry. If I was not angry, I would not be playing the way I was playing. So I was looking for those
>> angry like switch on buttons or fighting with a
>> opponent or just look for somebody to make me angry. And then from there because I think when you in my case when I was angry I was paying more attention. I was on my toes. I was like switched on totally.
>> Totally. and everything became different. And that's that's somebody you are or you're not.
>> When I would run out before every game, I would run from the length of the field all the way down to the end in our warm-ups and I would get fired up and I'd always say, "Let's go." And it was my own way of creating the anger.
>> Yeah.
>> Because I think that's the best emotion.
>> Yes. You have to find your own drive also because will not always be the other ones the surrounding that will push you because if you don't have that
>> outer drive from yourself is difficult. Because like I asked you when when did you feel that you were
>> on top like everything is working you know exactly what you need to do to perform and uh and to get results
>> and when uh where was I and when if you don't have that auto discipline to to stimulate yourself is difficult. Yeah. Because
>> a certain point you relax everything becomes too easy.
>> Absolutely.
>> And that is when you're never satisfied. That was my thing. When I did good, the next day I forgot about what I did yesterday because I always wanted more.
>> And I think that's that's mental also.
>> Yeah. And I think too like when you have that anger emotion,
>> like the good thing about anger is it spurs action against the anger. So if you create the anger, you want to do something about it, then you've got to go perform through that.
>> Yes.
>> And like if you create en your your the anger with the enemy, which in the sport is the opposing team,
>> you you're the most focused. You're the most
>> you're locked in completely. If you're playing your brother in something, you want to beat him, but you don't want to beat him that bad. It's your brother. You love him. You care for him. You don't want
>> smash him on the field. Smash him. I don't care. There's only one winner, me or him. And outside. That's why I love you.
>> We would have been good teammates.
>> We can do. Yeah. But on the pitch, there's only one winner. Oh my god. I would go all in.
>> But if you look, if you look in today's world, I think part of the challenge is all these guys are friends because of social media
>> and you know, you have players on teams that may be arch rivals
>> and now they're friends with the star player on the other team. When my view is like,
>> I don't know if I could ever have been that. Even in postc career, you see people you played against and you're like, "Well, I like him, but I really still
>> saw him as my competition cuz he wants what I want and only one of us is going to get it."
>> Exactly.
>> And I don't want him to get it. I want me to get it.
>> Exactly.
>> So, I need to say, "Hey,
>> you know, I want to go take him out."
>> Did you ever enjoy your achievements when you were active?
>> No.
>> Same thing. Same thing.
>> I never enjoyed my whatever I won. I always wanted more. Yeah.
>> But even now as a person like if I look back yes I did what I did but still I'm not I'm not satisfied and I I cannot really enjoy it because I want more.
>> Yeah.
>> And I'm not even playing.
>> Yeah.
>> So that's me as a as a person.
>> But it's interesting because
>> but I think that spurs go ahead please. When you achieve as much as you have done and you're not and you didn't really enjoy it during the active the professional career, it says everything about the person. That's why I think you reached higher than everybody else because
>> we had a great saying. There was a something I learned in college when I went to the University of Michigan and we had a equipment manager who had been a part of the program forever and he had all 25 league rings because they would give you a ring when you won
>> and they would always say to him when the people would come in. His name was Big Johnny.
>> Big Johnny, what's your favorite ring?
>> And he would always say the next one.
>> Okay.
>> The next one.
>> Yes.
>> And it just meant who gives a
>> what happened last year.
>> Exactly. It's all about this year and what's ahead because that's all that's relevant anyway.
>> True.
>> Even everyone who wins championships, it's amazing. But that was a moment and you should you will appreciate that at some moment. But the moments of greatness or being in sport for me was always the winning, the end result was fun, but really when I look back at my career, the best parts were the moments leading up to the big moment. like, yeah, we won that game and I'm so happy we won that Super Bowl in that moment. It was incredible. But really, what led to that winning in that moment were all these other things that took place. So yeah, I can appreciate that one moment of winning, but really what I appreciate was the six months of discipline, the six months of communication, the six months of overcoming the injuries and losing and getting, you know, losing your confidence and gaining your confidence back. You know, learning from your mistakes because sports are so hard in order to win the last one, you're going to fail along the way many times. And when we overcome our own failures, to me, that's how we build self-confidence. That's how we and all the teammates that we had. I value the teammates that went through the hard things because I go, man, I I would do anything for that guy
>> because I saw what he's all about. I saw when he had a game and everyone booed him and he went home and he got the next day by the coach and then he came out to practice the two days later with the best attitude, wanting to be better. stayed after practice, worked on the things that he wasn't good at in the game. The next morning before anyone got there, was working on the things that he wasn't good at, then went to practice, showed improvement, stayed after practice, did more, stayed at the facility, watched more film. Then the next Sunday came out and he performed his best. Well,
>> that's who you love to be with.
>> Yes.
>> You know, and
>> did what do you think about the crowd? Did you feel that energy? Did they give you extra motivation, extra energy or you was just objective?
>> I think I used sometimes I felt like when we would go on the road against the opposing crowd, it was better for me.
>> Okay.
>> Because they were I could be more angry at them. We did really well on the road. At home, sometimes it was flat because the expectations were so high.
>> They were used to it. We became good for a long time when I played for the Patriots for 20 years. So the week to week wasn't a big deal. They were like, "Hey, when the playoffs come, who are we gonna?" It's like you qualifying for the Champions League every year. And I'm going, "Well, who are we going to play in the Champions League semi-final?" And you're like, "Hold on, we haven't even got there yet. We have a lot of steps along the way." But when you go on the road, I think there's a heightened sense of focus because there's more enemies there for you. There's more people that are,
>> you know, you Yeah. Yeah. Whistling you. I remember when I came to Ajax and I was pretty unknown. Nobody knew about me and then I had a one journalist he asked me when you play away
>> do they whistle you or not? I say yes.
>> That was like followed me for my whole career because like you say playing away is more difficult obviously because you have everybody against you but it triggers you for me the energy that came from the crowd it pumped me. Are there any um if you think of the biggest challenges in your professional career, are there any that stand out that really created the man you are today? I mean, I like I had different phases in my life because you're young, you rock and roll, a lot of things are happening. You don't think so much, you just go all in. Then you become more mature. Then you get family. Your whole situation change. The way you see things, it changed. So I think every club I came to, every coach I had gave me something in a good way or in a bad way. But when I started to meet the play with the big players like Juventus.
>> Yeah.
>> Then I understood like, okay, this is how it works. This is how they think. This is how they perform. Because when you're young, it's not like I mean I was in a in two years I didn't even eat breakfast because I was like breakfast I don't eat breakfast I just go train and then when I came to the elite level breakfast it was like recovery it was preparing all these things came together and then I'm so okay this is like what I have to do to to stay because I believe you can come to the top but to stay on the top is more difficult because you have players that stayed like two three years and then they disappeared even if they were like wow
>> when it came to World Cup and uh preparing for the World Cup which is not easy because we have a full season. Yeah. And then after the season the World Cup comes and that's really the
>> the last thing of a season when when is World Cup because World Cup is every fourth year and
>> and then you need to do you need to be good at that moment because like you say there comes a moment when you lose confident less confidence then you have moments where everything is just going by itself. So I mean I came from Sweden expectations from Sweden for me was high because when they asked me can you win it? Yes, we can win it. But then there is a reality because I believe everything is possible and the way we were because you have a short time of preparing also the World Cup.
>> Yeah.
>> For for in our world.
>> So you have like three to four weeks to prepare and then the World Cup starts. So
>> you're going to play with players that you met last three weeks.
>> Let's get everything together. Then the coach got to do little bit of not miracle but you got to work study very well to get everybody together and u and it was all about being in shape because also in the preparation was not like do too much because you're like
>> you're you're probably in the 11th month.
>> Yeah.
>> In your season.
>> And that's normally a normal season is eighth month and then you go above that nine 10th month. So it was all about stay shape, recover good, take time, not maybe vacation but gather energy and then mentally prepare for the world cup and then when the world cup starts it's you represent your country not your club it's your country but is a big stage is is beautiful because different culture play against each other you have the we were yellow my nation yellow shirt so it was the yellow wall against
>> let's say we play against Holland
>> against the Dutch or orange. So it was half half.
>> And in this situation, nobody's home.
>> Yeah.
>> So you're playing in a different country. You got to represent your country. And from there, the battle goes on. But the
>> the mindset is the same. I got to win.
>> I'm doing everything to win. But
>> is is different compared to the club team? Because club team, we meet every day. We share the same locker room every day. We go out.
>> We have good moments. We have bad moments. We we win together. So I know you differently compared to the national team.
>> Yeah. How do you connect in a three or four week period with these new teammates in a way that can give you an advantage over the other teams?
>> So when we Sweden I talk because I think every country has its own culture the way they do things. So Sweden we used to do a lot of team building different things and not football like outside the pitch we were do get together I don't know do some different events
>> different exercise mental and uh and like the how do you say the group thing the team spirit and that so just to gather everybody together
>> and Sweden as a culture is pretty soft is nice I was the only one that was different compared to them because I was like I had a different approach. I was demanding things and in Sweden is like let's see what happens. No, no, we I don't
>> you're going to make it happen.
>> That's not my approach. Either we go and get it or we don't get it.
>> Yeah.
>> It's two different things. Then when we would lose it was like yeah but we have the next game. No, no, no, no. This is crisis because when we lose it's not okay for me. is not next game because that's who I was.
>> Yeah.
>> And in Sweden, I had a little bit difficult with this because it was not
>> their way of doing things. That's why I was considered different to them.
>> Yeah.
>> And I was not accepted like everybody else.
>> Did that put a lot of pressure on the other players and the coaches to reach a higher level though? Because I imagine with your expectation and the way that you approached it, they had to elevate because they knew you weren't going to let your foot off the gas pedal.
>> Yes. So I came from my club situation. I was playing in the big club. The expectations there were high or you win or we get a new player and you're out. Yeah.
>> So you were always
>> you needed to perform always. You were not the young talent
>> and I came from that environment to Sweden now to an environment was like let's see what happens. So it was either I bring them up to my level because I will not go down to their level because it's not where I belong and I don't want to be there in a way of my club situation because I was bringing that with me
>> and I tried to push everybody in that and uh sometime sometimes I was too hard because I had teammates that were even crying because I would I would put too much pressure on them
>> because I believe the way you train is the way you play your games. There is no secrets.
>> Yeah. If you
Train and perform in training. You will do it in the game.
Yeah. That's it. It's not like, "Wait until the game." For me, it doesn't exist. Like, if we have a game in the training, I have to win. If I don't win, it's not okay for me.
Yeah. So that's why when I came into that environment, it was different because they were not used to it. With all the respect for them, because they were playing in, in a lower level, in a way, in a club situation. Then we had some players that played in, in the bigger clubs, but I would say 80% was not from the elite, let's say top five clubs in the world.
So that was difficult because I was going into a World Cup and I was like, "We're going to win. I'm here to win. I'm not here to enjoy." For me, I will enjoy if I win it, and probably then I would not enjoy it. So that was like, who I was was going against me. Yeah, mostly then with me because it was not the, the, the situation of my club. So that's why in a short time, you tried to do this. We did a lot of team building. That was the way we were doing, and gather with the fans because our fans in Sweden were amazing. They were always, win or lose, they were supporting you.
Yeah. Which I find strange because when you lose, they shouldn't support you. I, I think one of the biggest, I don't know if it's a lie in sports with teams and high achievers, is that you should be happy or it should be joyful when you win. Because I don't think that's the two emotions that matter most when you're a high achiever. I think the fans can be happy.
Yeah. I think for a player, the greater feeling is the gratification of doing something that's very hard.
Yes. Which is like when you run a marathon and you're in the middle of the marathon, you don't go, "Oh, I'm so happy. I'm so joy." You think, "This is really hard and I've got to keep going." And then finally, when you pass the final tape in the marathon, you're exhausted because you've been working.
It's the same when you're an athlete that needs to perform at a high level. There will be happiness at moments, but the better feeling than happiness or joy to me is gratification because it's, it's way more sustainable long term. We committed to something together as a team. We put our hearts, our emotions aligned, our physical bodies. We sacrificed a lot. We went in training for a big moment. I was really hard on you. You were hard on me. I was stressed at night. I couldn't sleep. I thought I let the team down. There's all these emotions that come back and forth when you're trying because the competition is difficult. It's not, you're not playing the elementary school team. You're playing against the other best teams in the world. So to me, when you beat those teams, it's amazing. It's a great feeling, but then what's next? Because we got to go do it again and we got to do it again. And that's to me what you're ultimately you're looking for. Get rid of the fact that it should be this is so happy. No, it's not happy. And by the way, you pushing your teammates and them crying, that tells me, well, in the big moments, that's probably not the guy I want out there with me.
Because I want to push them to the point where they're really uncomfortable. Because believe me, the opponents, they're going to push you till you're uncomfortable. And if you're going to break in practice, you're going to break in the game. If you're going to break in front of no fans, you're going to break in front of 70,000 fans. If you're going to break against me and my voice yelling at you, you're going to break when there's 70,000 fans screaming at you and calling you names. So, let's figure it out quick. Like, I want to, I want to pressure test you early. If you break, I don't need you anyway. Because when you're losing in big moments, you can't break. You're already broken. I need you to build yourself back up. If I know you can't build yourself back up, because believe me, when you're in the World Cup, you're going to be losing in these games. You're going to be losing in the second half. It's going to over, you're going to have to overcome the challenges of losing. I need to figure out if it's in you. If it's in you, let's go. You're my team. Let's ride.
If you're not, get the out. I don't need you. Let's get someone else who can.
How was your buildup from the regular season for and then you went in the playoff?
Yeah. Was that a different approach or you just kept going?
I think a lot of it when I was on really high performing teams, we kept going, but then when you reach the playoffs, there's another level of focus and concentration because the stakes are higher. So to me, it would be, you only have a certain period of time in the playoffs, five, six weeks. The World Cup's five or six weeks. Put all that in your life in a drawer. It can, it can wait five or six weeks. This moment is too important.
Yes. For you, for your family, for your country, for your legacy, for the moments. You only get so many of these opportunities in your life. If it's to go out to dinner, just wait five weeks. If it's to, to go to a party, wait five weeks. Do whatever you can. You'll never regret that.
Yes. If you win, you're never going to look back and say, "Well, damn, I should have done that thing that maybe I decided not to do." If you win, it's all worth it. If you decide to partake in all the distractions, you're not going to win.
No, but that, that says all about the person. What is your objectives? Either you're a competitor and you really want to do something about, let's say, your professional or your legacy. That says everything about who the person is.
Yeah. But then you have some athletes that it goes their way even if they do those things also.
Yeah. But it doesn't last long.
It, it work once, but it's never, it's never going to last that long.
Doesn't last long because I believe in continuity.
Yeah. The great player is the, is in the long term.
Yeah. Not the short term because this can be like, like a hype of moment. Everything went your way.
Yeah. A lot of luck. I don't know. The team was performing, overperforming, but then when you have a career of a lot of years, that is who you are.
Yeah. That is your legacy, I would believe.
I think for me, there was, you come to these big moments in the end of the game and you could be on the sideline watching or you could be on the field doing. In football, I always preferred to be on the field. So if you're on the field, who wants to shoulder the responsibility? Do I want it to be me or do I want it to be someone else and put it in their hands? Well, to me, I want it to be me. And I think the big part is, and I try to explain this to a lot, the fear of failure, you have to erase from your mind. Cuz what I realized even in post-career, whether I won a Super Bowl or I lost, the sun came up the next day. My kid was going to be crying in the next morning. I had to feed him something. Life moves on and I think you have to understand that we all want to win and we're going to do everything we can to win. And if we're going to lose, I'd rather be the one that has the ball in his hands and I'm going to deal with the fear of failure because without overcoming the fear of failure, you're never going to succeed in the way of your true potential. Michael Jordan used to say, "I take all these shots to miss, but in the end, I was believed that I was always going to make it too." You know, for me to have the ball in my hands at the end of the game, I always had a belief we were going to win. Now, we didn't always win, but I had a belief that if we were going to win, it was going to be because all those guys looked at me in the huddle and they said, "I believe in you because whatever you say, that's what you do." And if we came up short, we came up short. It was painful. You didn't sleep well for a week, two weeks, three weeks. Some of the losses are imprinted on your life forever. There was a loss that I had in 2007 to the Giants in the Super Bowl, and we're undefeated. We would have gone down as the greatest team in the history of the NFL. We lost the game. I still feel that today, but that's okay. You should feel that because you cared a lot. But without that feeling and emotion, I wouldn't have achieved the success in the big moments as well. I see myself also being that guy like, take the responsibility in the decisive moments when everything is the big stake like now is the moment, win or lose, hero or zero. But in those moments, I never felt fear because it was not because of the way I was and the way I was doing things. For me, my head was success. I'll do it because I know we're going to, I'm going to succeed and we're going to win with it. Then obviously, you have moments when you miss. And that, but in that precise moment, let's say penalty, last minute, in my head is goal. I don't, because I believe you cannot think on the consequences in a negative way. Then you shouldn't be there. Then it's not for you.
Because in your head, you already have a, you already have the movie how it's going to play out. And then you, you just have to execute it. Because if you don't, you're not the right man to to be in that moment. Because whoever is in that moment, he already sees what's happening before it's happening.
Yeah. So when I come there, I know what I'm doing. We win and we celebrate. Like, at least the confidence has to be there. You cannot go there, "Let's see what happens."
Yeah. Because already there, like, you're not confident enough to take to be in that situation. That's why about fear, I never thought then. I know in the game, you're as good as your last game. That's that's standard. And obviously, you fail more than you succeed because you learn more in the moments where you fail. And that is who will build you and make you who you will become. Because success is like the small part of the all everything you describe like sleeping, recovering, eating, stress, being nervous, all this is the bigger picture. And the achievement is the, in, is actually the smaller for what time you put to to arrive for the success.
So in this, I am that guy. I want to be, I want to be alive. I want to feel alive. I want to be the one that says, "Listen, I'm going to take care of it. Don't worry. Stand behind me and I'll lead you." So I had this in the end of my career because I came in a situation, my second wave in Milan, I didn't play with great players. I played with normal players, but I put pressure on them like they, they were great players, but I was the leading guy and they were just waiting for me. "What are we going to do?" And that was special for me because it was about giving back. It was not about taking. Because I know in early age, it's all about you. Then when you get experience, older, it's about giving back because you don't need, you don't have the same ego. So in these moments when it came and had the whole stadium whistling, in my head was the movie, "Just wait until I score and then I want to hear you." So whoever has this fear, I mean, a little bit fear, you will always have because everything cannot always go your way. But the fear should not control you. You control the fear.
That is the difference. I think that when you have these big moments and like you have like a Super Bowl and you have two weeks to get ready for that game, there are so many people that want to go down and they think this is the most fun that we're going to have. We get to go to Super Bowl and around that there's all the events. Everyone's got the parties and everyone's showing up and and I always felt for me it was like, "I'm not here for fun. I'm here for business. I'm here to work. Everyone go have a great time. Call me when it's, you know, you need something and I'll try to send you to someone who can help you, but I'm going to be locked in doing what I need to do because the only way I'm going to have a great experience for those two weeks is winning that last game." My two weeks will never, I'll forget every moment of these two weeks if we lose. I'll remember every moment of these two weeks if we win the Super Bowl. So, I'm not going to let anything get in the way of the preparation that I needed to win that game because if your preparation slips and the other team's preparation didn't slip, when you start that game, you're at a disadvantage. If you let that other team partake in all the distractions and you don't, you have an advantage when that game starts. These are the big moments. You're going to remember them for the rest of your life. Why let anything get in the way of that? Your family shouldn't, your friends shouldn't, the events shouldn't, the asks or the commitments or the obligations shouldn't. End that so that you are able to focus on making those two weeks memorable for your life, not for everybody else's life.
In my, in my world, I was pretty locked. We were locked in and we were not, we were not allowed to go on this kind of events and that because I think the buildup for you guys is different compared to where we were locked up. And the only thing the captain would speak to the media, do his thing, then obviously a lot of buildup for the game, a lot of media in the beginning of my career, we didn't have social media, so you couldn't see what's going on if you didn't have the papers or what, what was going on on TV. But then the social media came and then you have, I know some athletes, they go in, they check the comments from people, fans, and that. I avoid everything. I'm, I just lock, I'm locked in. I don't get disturbed and I'm just being in my own world for the buildup and the preparation. But then when you come closer to the game, then you want to engage because you want to, you want to feel the surrounding. You want to see what's going on. Then the fans come in the picture.
Yeah. And you want to be with your fans then because you feel the, the heat, you feel the, it's a different atmosphere. Something is going on. Something is about to happen. So you engage with them. Then obviously with every teammate, every individual has his own way of, somebody listens to the music, whatever. But when it came to to go out on events, zero, like totally zero. And that is, we, we were locked. And me as a person, I'm not the guy that gets distracted by all the surrounding because the way I was, the way I had my career was a lot of noise around me, mostly negative because they didn't accept who I was and then they were going against me because I was different. And that, but that made me stronger also because of that, it built, built my mental part different way, in a different way. So when that came later on with the high pressure, you have to win. If you don't win, there is a consequence. I was too strong for that in a way that my confidence was in my mind, "We're not going to lose, we're going to win."
Yeah. So that was the way I was preparing. And then obviously in Europe, the fans, they're different because why are they different? Because for them, in, I most of my career, I played in Italy. I played in France. I played in Spain. I played in England. I came over to US. I think US had the softest fans.
Wow. From, uh, in my world, let's say, because I think the setup in US is like the regular season, you just have to reach the playoff.
Yeah. So when we were losing games, they were like, "Don't worry, we just need to reach the playoffs." And I'm like, "What do you mean don't worry? In my world, I am worried because we just lost." No, but we just need to reach the first seven.
But that's a different approach mentally because I come, I'm Zlatan, I need to perform. If I lose, I feel I lose, not the team because I failed. And then he's saying to me, "Don't worry, we just need to reach the playoff." And then I'm like, "But then come back when the playoff starts. Don't, don't train with me now because I want to do good in regular season because if you think, think about my contract, I get paid now. I don't get paid when the playoff starts."
Yeah. Because I was like, if you think like that, you should get 80% of your salary when the playoff starts, then the 20 regular season. When, yeah, win or lose, it doesn't matter. So I came from a high pressure world, let's say, where you have to perform every training. And that was how, how I was built.
Yeah. We were losing in training. I said, "Guys, I don't lose even three, three games in training. That's my mentality. I have to win." And then in Europe, the pressure is so high from the fans. Italy, where I spent a lot of time, for them is not only being a fan, it's religion. So if you play for their team, their team, whatever it's Milan, Juventus, is more important than their family because they're born into a situation that they're a Milanista, Juventino, Interista, which is the teams. So now you have, you're playing in a team that is theirs, in their world.
Yeah. It's theirs. So when it's good, everybody's singing, everything is good. When it's bad, then you have to be strong. You have to be strong. Mentally and as a person because we have situations where they can wait outside the training, 10,000 people. You come with the car, I'm going to smash your car. So if you come with a nice car, you better know which car you come with. So sometimes we came with a low profile car, we like, "Smash that, don't worry. The important one is home." But you can imagine the pressure and the intensity and the heat from the fans.
But it's the opposite when things are going good. Because when things are going good, you're flying, but you have to keep a balance because when you're flying, you might relax also.
Yeah. So it depends on the individual you are. And we had situations in the stadium where they want to enter the pitch like and get to the players. And that, but that's for me, listen, I'm here. I'm doing my best. I'm not here to fail. I'm not trying to fail.
Yeah. If I'm not good enough, that's another thing. But I don't, in my world, I don't believe somebody is trying to do something to fail.
Yeah. But in the fan world, he thinks differently. He thinks he can take out your heart and it belongs to him. Like, but we're also human beings. We do mistakes. He's not always guaranteeing everything we do, but the heat is there. So imagine as an athlete, it's not only pressure from the club, media, your contract situation, because if you get a big contract, more pressure. The fans are the big, the big pressure in my world because I don't, I don't know if I have to say I was lucky or not, but I always won wherever I went. So I always, I was always on the good side. I saw the, the, it came moments when it was heat, but I was like, "This is me. I don't back up, back down for nobody because I know I'm not here to to fool around. I'm here to win and I'm going to make you proud." So that's more the European fans. So now over to you. Give me the American.
I know. I think the American fan, what we appreciate is the best. I think we appreciate the best teams, the best athletes, the best music, you know, the best, you know, show. There's a, we're always looking for what do I really, yeah, I want to cheer for someone, but really what I appreciate is I appreciate someone or a team that's committed to doing the best. And I think I really recognized that in my post-playing career because for 20 years I played for one team. So when I went to 31 other stadiums in America, all over America, they booed you. Boo. You walked in and I ruined their Sundays.
Only booing or they went above?
Boo, cheer, flipping you off. Okay. A lot of words, you know. Now they weren't burning your car down.
Okay. But there was, they didn't like things in. Not too much. That would have been bad.
You had a helmet. So, you had a helmet, so we didn't, I never took my helmet off. But what was really cool for me after my career, now that I'm doing broadcasting, now I go to those same stadiums where they booed me and they clap.
Yeah. But you came on a different level.
Yeah. I mean, they, but I mean, the point is they really respected what they saw. They couldn't have respected when you were playing against their team.
For sure. But when you're finished playing, they said, "Hey, that was really, we're glad we don't have to play you, but we really respect you." And I think that was a different view than I saw. Cuz I think in America, we're very blessed in America, as you know. It's, there's so many opportunities here to succeed in different areas. You could do whatever sport you want. You could do the arts, you could do medicine, you could do legal, you could do, there's so much great work that the American fan is looking for excellence and they appreciate excellence.
Were the fans different in college compared to the NFL or no? College, it feels more, in my opinion, I always describe European soccer as more college fanaticism. Because you do, it's the same way, if you go to that college, you love that college forever. You're born into that, you chose that college, you'll forever support that college. Okay. That's to me what being born into one of the environments in Europe. You pick your team and you're with them forever. In America, yeah, you're with them forever, but you also say, "Hey, I kind of like that team because I really like that player." And I, you know, if you're a LeBron James fan, wherever he went, you're gonna ultimately like that team because you like, you know, his style, his performance, the electricity, the way that he plays.
So the American fan, that's what they want. And I think that's what they cheer for. I truly believe the American athlete would enjoy differently in Europe with those fans, especially your world. If you would have the like the fans from Europe or when the heat goes, oh my god, they would go crazy. They would go crazy. All the tackles or the nice game play, game. I mean, I know when I went in a duel with a player, head, the fans wanted to come in and like one side versus the other side.
Why would anyone mess with you? I have no idea.
Yeah, that's the first thing. But the second was when they tried to mess, I could take care of it by myself. But then I, no, but really the fans in, it's different, different ways of, I mean, I know basketball, you, you talk about LeBron with the Lakers fans and that. I've been there. But I've been also in Belgrade and see a basketball game there.
Yeah. Whoa. That's, that's a little bit scary compared. That's why I think the, the American athlete, if he would go through there, I don't know if he would become a different, it would be a different intensity.
Yeah. It would be, oh my god, it would be different.
Yeah. It's a little less civilized, if that's the way to put it.
So for the first time in my life, I'm going to do the broadcasting for Fox Sports Studios. I'm very excited. I'm very happy. I promise to be myself because that's what I think they want me to be. But you now have experience, took like from ex-athlete, the who you, from who you were going into this new world. So tell me only what to avoid. Guide me a little bit so I don't do any mistakes.
You're going to, which I like to do. No, I'm joking. I think you're going to be great. And I think that what I've learned and very fortunate is, I have the best teammates and you will too. And what I learned, certainly in my second year, because my first year, you're very much in your head. You're thinking, "Am I doing this right? Am I doing this wrong? Did I say the right, is that the right?" And you're constantly have this voice in your head every time you're talking about, "Is this right or wrong?" And then my second year was, I would say, a little bit of a breakthrough. But I just said, you know what? If I really enjoy this because I love the sport so much, the fans are going to love it. And if I'm going to get intense, they're going to get intense. And if I get serious and focused, they're going to get serious and focused.
Okay? Just like when you were a player. And I think the more you see it as a player and you enjoy it, the fans who are watching you, cuz you're so fun to be with. I've been with you several times. I laugh. I see it the same way. We joke. We have a great time. If you're that, the world's going to love it cuz they get to see someone that they've always looked up to you. But now you get to be their teammate because you're just the fans' teammate now. You're just not playing on the field. You get to be the fans' teammate and you just get to say, "This is why it's so great and this is what I appreciate and by the way, this is what I don't like because if I was doing that, I would do it differently." So you get to be you and believe me, everybody's going to love you.
I promise to be myself. That's for sure.
There's only one way for you to be yourself, is being absolutely good.
Yeah. That's what, that's what we learn. You're awesome, brother.