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Ibrahimovic poised to sign for Barcelona

Swedish footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic arrived in Barcelona on Sunday to put pen to paper on a deal that will make him the European champions' most high profile summer signing.

Published: 27 July 2009 09:37 CEST

Ibrahimovic poised to sign for Barcelona

Ibrahimovic stated his eagerness to learn Barcelona’s winning methods as he arrived at the Nou Camp ahead of his medical scheduled for Monday.

“I want to learn how Barca play. There are champions in every position and I want to learn what I can from all of them,” the Inter Milan player said in an interview published on the Spanish club’s website.

“When I saw Barca were interested in me I told my manager to sort it out and he’s done a great job. Who wouldn’t want to come to Barca? I think any player would want to represent what is the best club in Europe and maybe the world.”

“The best players have to be at Barca and I hope to be one of them. I’m coming here with the qualities everyone knows I have. I play a skilful game, as Barca do, and I want to do as well as I have done at Inter.”

The Swede is poised to join Barcelona from Inter Milan in a deal which will see Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o move the other way and the Italian side receive 50 million euros ($71 million).

“Everything seems to be all set, it just needs my signature. I’m really pleased and enjoying everything that’s happening. When this is all settled I’ll be the happiest man in the world,” he said.

If Ibrahimovic passes his medical on Monday, he is scheduled to be officially unveiled as a Barcelona player at 6:30 pm.

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Why has the expansion of Barcelona airport prompted mass protests?

People march during a demonstration against the expansion of the Barcelona-El Prat airport. Photo: Pau BARRENA / AFP

Several ecological and agricultural organisations, have demanded that the expansion be stopped due to the fact nearby wetlands and farms would have to be destroyed.

The demonstration took place on Calle Tarragona in the Catalan capital between Plaça d’Espanya and Plaça dels Països Catalans.

The protests still took place, even though last week, Spain suspended the €1.7 billion airport expansion project, citing differences with the Catalan government, after president Pere Aragonès said he wanted to avoid destroying La Ricarda lagoon, a natural reserve next to the airport.

Environmentalists decided not to call off the march, in case plans for the airport expansion still went ahead.

READ ALSO: Six things you need to know about Barcelona airport’s €1.7 billion planned expansion

Political representatives from ERC, En Comú Podem and the CUP also attended, as well as the leader of Más País, Íñigo Errejón; the Deputy Mayor for Ecology of the Barcelona City Council, Janet Sanz, and the Mayor of El Prat de Llobregat, Lluís Mijoler.

People from neighbourhoods across the city marched towards Calle Tarragona and could be seen holding placards that read “Nature yes, airport no and shouting slogans such as “More courgettes and fewer planes” and “Fighting for the climate, health, and life”.

One of the largest groups of people were those from El Prat de Llobregat, the municipality which is home to the airport, who were led by tractors.

People march during a demonstration against the expansion of Barcelona-El Prat airport. Photo by Pau BARRENA / AFP

In addition to protesting against the expansion of the El Prat airport, people were also demonstrating against the Winter Olympic Games in the Pyrenees and extensions to airports in Mallorca and Madrid.

A representative of Zeroport, Sara Mingorría said “We are here to defend not only La Ricarda, but the entire Delta”.

The philosopher Marina Garcés also argued that the expansion of the airport would mean “more borders, more mass tourism, more control and more precarious jobs.”

The leader of the commons in the Catalan parliament, Jéssica Albiach, who also attended the protest, asked the PSOE for “coherence”: “You cannot be passing a law against climate change and, at the same time, defend the interests of Aena [the airport operations company]”, she said.

She also urged the leader of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonès, to “definitely say no”.

If the airport expansion in Barcelona goes ahead, environmentalists say that CO2 emissions would rise by a minimum of 33 percent. These levels would surpass the limits set by the Catalan government’s climate targets.

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