Pep Guardiola and Zlatan Ibrahimovic involved in noticeably awkward reunion after their relationship broke down at Barcelona

Zlatan Ibrahimovic briefly reunited with former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola ahead of AC Milan’s pre-season match against Manchester City. Ibrahimovic, now a senior advisor to AC Milan’s ownership and management team, had a notoriously rocky relationship with Guardiola during their single season together at Barcelona.

In his 2013 autobiography, “I Am Zlatan,” Ibrahimovic harshly criticized Guardiola, calling him a “spineless coward” and recounting a heated confrontation following Barcelona’s Champions League exit to Inter Milan. Ibrahimovic described how he yelled at Guardiola, accusing him of lacking courage and adding, “You can go to hell!” Ibrahimovic noted that Guardiola didn’t respond, which only reinforced his negative view of him.

Despite their past tensions, the two encountered each other at Yankee Stadium in New York. Footage captured Guardiola approaching Ibrahimovic for a brief exchange before the pre-season clash. Observers noted Ibrahimovic’s apparent discomfort during the interaction, with some fans commenting on how awkward the encounter seemed.

Ibrahimovic’s tenure at Barcelona saw him score 22 goals in 46 appearances before moving to AC Milan permanently in 2011. Reflecting on his time under Guardiola, Ibrahimovic remarked in 2017 that the problem lay with Guardiola, who had initially pursued him aggressively but then inexplicably sidelined him.

This unexpected reunion between Ibrahimovic and Guardiola highlights the lingering tensions from their time together, even as they have both moved on in their respective careers.