Just over 200 young people and sports leaders have gathered in Linköping for the evening to see the film “I am Zlatan”, the film adaptation of the book of the same name from 2011. The atmosphere in the cinema before the screening is giggly and hilarious. For some of the teams, this is the first social activity they have been able to do in several years, due to the corona pandemic.
Östergötland Sports Association holds the show, together with the sports educators SISU. A total of three evenings have been arranged, which attracted over 700 participants. Not only from football, but also bowling, basketball, taekwondo, orienteering and gymnastics.
– We have thought about how we can reach the young people and start a discussion about these issues. Where should we start? This movie provides such a great opportunity. Everyone has a relationship with Zlatan, and he arouses a lot of feelings and thoughts, says Ulrika Smith-Svenstedt at RF-SISU Östergötland.
– Over 700 young people in Östergötland have seen the film “I am Zlatan” as a starting point for discussions about macho culture, security and other people’s conditions.
Photo: Elin Åberg
The discussion of values is new to Hjulsbro IK’s girls juniors, born 2005–2007. They have only played together since November, when three vintages merged into one team. From Hjulsbro, Julia Elmhester, Sofia Wasling, Nolia Windolf, Alicia Otterström, Emma Johansson, Ebba Kindström, Tyra Jonsson and Tilde Fonander, among others, have taken seats in the cinema armchairs.
The film they see follows Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Rosengård and towards the top of European football. Through the tough home conditions, the challenges at school, the misunderstandings, the wrong decisions, the difficulty of fitting in, being allowed to get and being able to take advantage of opportunities.
What strikes the girls most afterwards is how hard Zlatan works to get where he wants to go. That he continued to play even outside of training. On the small football field in Rosengård. On the balcony in the evening. They think the film is good. Inspiring.
– It was fascinating to see how hard he trained to be the best. He never gave up, even though it was difficult, as well, says Julia Elmhester.
The reactions come close and loudly from different directions in the salon during the film. A scene where a young Zlatan Ibrahimovic, portrayed by Dominic Andersson Bajraktati, increasingly loudly defends himself against unfair accusations from teachers and a resource educator generates cheers. The fact that Zlatan’s father Sefik defends his son against the school management draws applause.
– Granit Rushiti plays the teenage Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the movie “I am Zlatan”.
Photo: Carolina Romare
There is a buzz through the salon when a slightly older Zlatan, played by Granit Rushiti, balds a teammate in training with Malmö FF’s juniors. And mischief, laughter and clapping hands follow when a girl says yes to a date.
After the film, it opens up for discussion. The theme is macho culture and security in the locker room. Through their mobile phones, the young people get to answer questions about Zlatan’s actions in the film:
Describe your feeling of the film in one word. Mention one thing you like that Zlatan does? Mention one thing you dislike Zlatan doing? What do you think it’s like to have Zlatan as a teammate?
Some others probably recognize themselves more in some parts of the film.
The move to give 200 teenagers the ability to write what they want that is published straight up on a large screen quickly turns out to be a not entirely successful idea. Serious answers are mixed with gender words and jokes, about sex, homosexuality and ethnicity. In the end, the organizer has to roar away.
It also becomes clear that the depiction of growing up lands differently. Where some are appalled by aggressive behavior, others see a person standing up for themselves.
The players in Hjulsbro IF realize that their perspective is probably more similar to what is represented in the film by the Malmö district Limhamn. In Hjulsbro in southeastern Linköping, only 4 percent of children and young people live in what is called a low economic standard. On the other side of the city, in Skäggetorp in the northwest, 72 percent of people aged 0–19 live in low economic standards, according to statistics from Statistics Sweden.
In Skäggetorp has almost one third of the adults did not finish high school. In Hjulsbro, half of those of working age over 25 have studied at least three years at university or college.
– Some others probably recognize themselves more in certain parts of the film, says Hjulsbro player Ebba Kindström.
With them from the cinema, all associations bring with them discussion material and arrangements for further discussion. On a couple of occasions in connection with training, they will talk about issues such as security in the group and the locker room, and how teammates ‘and opponents’ home conditions and mental health in the rest of their lives may affect their way of being in sports.
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– picture 1 of 2 Photo: Elin Åberg
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– picture 2 of 2 Photo: Elin Åberg
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In Hjulsbro IF’s girls juniors, the players think they have good control of each other’s conditions. But is it really true, leader Karolina Elmhester wonders rhetorically.
– How much do you really know about how people feel at home? So, not at all I would say.
How much do you know as a leader?
– More. Thanks to having contact with parents and so on. You know if there is someone who needs support. But you do not know everything.
– It’s easy to assume things. To think that a person is a little over and then it just has a really hard time, thinks player Julia Elmhester, daughter of coach Karolina.
Teammate Alicia Otterström fills in:
– At the same time, I do not know if they are so good that you know everything either. Then maybe you adapt too much just because they have a hard time at home. But of course it can be good too.
For Hjulsbro’s juniors, the district championship is already underway, while the league game starts later in April. It will be the first season together as a team.
– Zlatan Ibrahimovic 2001. “Then he was very focused on himself”, says one of the players in Hjulsbro IF.
Photo: Lennart Månsson / Bildbyrån
What do you think it would be like to have someone like Zlatan as a teammate?
– It would probably have been very difficult when he played in Malmö. Then he was very focused on himself. He feels more sensible now. Now he would not bald his teammate. I do not think so, says Emma Johansson.
The players in Hjulsbro agree that the young Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the film focused more on the self than on the team. That such a player would make it more difficult to develop as a team.
If you are the best, you are a good teammate as well.
But if you shit in the team then? If you just want to be the best yourself?
– It is difficult to be the best without a team. You do not get any chances then. Of course no one will want to suit you if they know that you will only neglect it by trying to pretend, Nolia Windolf thinks, and gets support from her teammates:
– If you are the best, you are a good teammate as well. You can find gaps and play the ball at the right time. So not only be able to dribble and score goals, but also fit.
Do you think it is good to discuss things like this together as a group?
– Yes. I think everyone may have it easy in this team, but if you end up in a new club where you do not know the team, it can be very important, says Julia Elmhester.
Read more:
Review: Immersive balance between social realism and success story in “I am Zlatan”
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