Brad and Jennifer, Justin and Britney, Puffy and J-Lo. Back in 2001, the world was enthralled by some of the great celebrity romances. Alas, none were to survive the test of time.
But in that same year, a relationship began that is still going strong today. It started when a cocky street kid from Malmo realised he was flat broke and bored after moving away from home for the first time, so called up another new arrival in Amsterdam, a shy teenager from southern Brazil.
They met up and got on so well that they didn’t leave each other’s company for the next month. When Zlatan met Maxwell, football’s greatest bromance was born. Continue
Since those first days together at Ajax, Ibrahimovic and Maxwell – full name Maxwell Scherrer Cabelino Andrade - have played together at another three of Europe’s elite clubs. At Ajax, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain they have won 10 league titles in four different countries.
No other footballers have ever won more major trophies while playing together for different clubs.
The latest league winner’s medal arrived on Sunday as PSG romped to the Ligue 1 crown with eight games to spare following la demolition – a nine-goal rout of Troyes in which Ibrahimovic scored four times.
That makes four successive league titles since the pair were reunited in Paris in 2012. Prior to that there were three Serie A crowns with Inter from 2007 to 2009, one La Liga triumph during Ibrahimovic’s solitary season at the Nou Camp in 2010, and two Eredivisie wins in 2002 and 2004, where their friendship blossomed in Holland.
But while Ibrahimovic takes all the headlines as strikers – particularly mouthy ones – tend to do, his silent partner at left back boasts just as impressive a personal trophy cabinet.
In fact, thanks to the two Serie A titles hauled back from Juventus following the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal, Maxwell’s CV is actually even more impressive than Ibrahimovic’s.
For someone to boast an even better trophy haul than Ibrahimovic and yet still remain friends with him, Maxwell must be some pal.
He certainly proved that when both were wide-eyed 19-year-olds on their first big adventure in Amsterdam – a city that has seen many a teenager come to a sticky end over the years. Ibrahimovic, he now freely admits, was in trouble.
‘I came to Amsterdam totally alone, and I had problems in the first month,’ he said in an interview two years ago, revealing how he had no money due to his first payment coming only at the end of his first month at Ajax. In his house was little more than a television and a bed. In his garage was a shiny new Mercedes – one cause of his money issues. But in his fridge was nothing.
‘After two weeks I called Maxwell and I said I have problems, he was like “OK”, because Maxwell is the best guy in the world. I mean if you want to think of a teddy bear you have Maxwell. I called him I said “listen I don't have food at home, I need help”, and he said “OK come to my place”.
‘He put me on the floor, with a mattress to sleep on. I slept in his house, I was hanging out with him, eating food and driving to training together. And after one month the salary came and it became easier for me.’
From those early days, their friendship blossomed. Maxwell describes their relationship as ‘very strong, beautiful and loyal’. And while his friend’s reputation – and ego - have since soared into the stratosphere, Maxwell insists that the Ibrahimovic on show is very different from the Zlatan he knows.
‘His image does not conform to reality,’ the Brazilian told L’Equipe. ‘Our characters are different, but he's a simple man, with a sense of family and he does not pretend, like me. Like him, I hate people who are fake, superficial.’
Ibrahimovic, meanwhile, describes Maxwell as ‘incredibly sensitive, a family guy that calls home all the time’, and even questions how his friend has managed to enjoy such a fine career. ‘Sometimes I'm surprised he's become so good. Nice guys like him usually don't make it in football.’
The chances of these two 34-year-olds adding to their 10 league titles together may appear remote, with Ibrahimovic out of contract this summer and seemingly on the verge of a long-awaited move to the Premier League.
But don’t count out even more joint success: Maxwell is also out of contract this summer and has openly admitted that he is ready to leave Paris too. It will surprise no-one if they arrive as a pair in England soon.
Even if this is the end of a remarkable partnership on the pitch, however, it is one that will continue off the pitch for many more years to come.
‘It started with him as a friend and today he's like a brother to me,’ Maxwell said last year. ‘The friendship we have began when we were young single guys but today continues with our families and where the family members are also friends. So it's a friendship which will certainly remain after football.’
source: dailymail
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