Swedish has a new, Ibra-inspired word

STOCKHOLM

Paris Saint-Germain’s Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been in sensational form recently, having scored 18 goals so far for the Ligue 1 club. AFP photo

A new word was added to the Swedish language, thanks to Paris Saint-Germain’s superstar footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The Daily Mail reported that the Swedish Language Council has officially introduced a new word: “Zlatanera” – which in English means “to clear anything with force” or “to dominate.” The verb has been in common use in Sweden for a few months now.

“‘Zlatanera’ was originally used on Les Guignols, a popular satirical French puppet show on Canal Plus television channel, who joked about everyone being in awe of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and has since been taken up by the Swedes, including the extra ‘a,’” the Daily Mail said.

Last month, Ibra made the headlines with a stunning long-distance bicycle kick goal against England in a 4-2 friendly win. The goal was the last of a remarkable four-goal performance by the towering striker.

The addition of the word “Zlatanera” came in the wake of a scandal in Sweden, where the top names of the right-wing Sweden Democrat Party were making racist comments on a video leaked to the web.

“I’m proud to be Swedish and I try to represent Sweden in the best way possible. What they say, it doesn’t tickle me,” he told Swedish daily Expressen on the issue.