Zlatan Ibrahimovic has received a gold record award after his rendition of the Swedish national anthem was streamed 3m times in his native country.
Sweden’s record goalscorer, who also became the highest scorer in PSG’s history earlier this month, recorded his version of Du Gamla, Du Fria – translated as Thou Ancient, Thou Free – for an advert in 2014, with Ibrahimovic suggesting in a post on social media that the track, produced by Max Martin, is the most streamed national anthem ever after it reached the 3m milestone this month.
Ibrahimovic said in an interview with Dagens Industri at the time of the launch that the “old” version of the Swedish national anthem was uninspiring. “I have … what’s the best way of putting it … decided not to sing it. It hasn’t clicked for me. I am proud to be Swedish, absolutely, and I am proud to be the captain of the national team. When I go out on the pitch I want to give everything.
“But when it comes to the national anthem it hasn’t clicked for me to say or sing these words. Until now. This new national anthem is exactly what we need. The old was boring. This goes straight in. I hope this will become the new one. And who better to do that new one but Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Max Martin?”
Ibrahimovic is proud of his mixed heritage and also explained at the launch a year ago that his new approach to a traditional song is indicative of what a modern Sweden represents.
“This is what Sweden looks like in 2014. I do not speak perfect Swedish, but that is how it is. Mixtures everywhere. I may be a Swedish anyway. We are all different, yet equal. My dad is from Bosnia and Muslim. My mother is Croatian and Catholic. But I was born in Sweden and am a Swedish citizen. You cannot change that.”
The 34-year-old also said that he played the track to his PSG team-mate Maxwell. “I explained to him that this is the new Swedish national anthem,” Ibrahimovic said. “He did not understand the language but I told him to listen and tell me what he thought. As he listened, he said something in Brazilian and pointed to his arm. The hairs stood up. He became emotional. I said: ‘I told you so. This is the new Sweden’.”
