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Tag: Zlatan Ibrahimovic

  • Serie A: Lukaku mocks Ibrahimovic after derby goal

    Serie A: Lukaku mocks Ibrahimovic after derby goal

    Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku enjoyed a last laugh at Zlatan Ibrahimovic after victory over AC Milan on Sunday.

    The match had been billed as a shootout between the two after their bust-up in the previous meeting for the Coppa Italia.

    Yesterday, as Ibrahimovic was substituted, Lukaku scored in the 3-0 win and let out a few choice words aimed at the Swede as he celebrated.

    “I’m the f***ing best. I’m the best. Me, me!” screamed Lukaku at the Milan bench.

    Corriere della Sera reports the Belgian’s blast was clearly meant for Ibrahimovic after the Swede’s insults in the Coppa.

  • Ibrahimović scores 500th club goal

    Ibrahimović scores 500th club goal

    AC Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored the 500th club goal of his career on Sunday against Crotone in Serie A.

    The 39-year-old Swede scored after half an hour after combining with Rafael Leao against lowly Crotone at the San Siro for his 82nd goal for the club.

    Ibrahimovic reached the landmark in 825 games, having made his professional debut for Swedish club Malmo in 1999.

    He has played for three Serie A sides, Juventus, Inter and Milan, as well as Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, Barcelona, Ajax and Los Angeles Galaxy.

    He later grabbed a second goal in the match against Crotone.

    He has now scored 396 league goals, 57 in European competitions and 48 in cup games.

    The former Sweden striker returned to Milan in January 2020 and has scored 27 goals in 37 appearances since.

  • ‘Ibrahimovic is like an umbrella’ – AC Milan chief

    ‘Ibrahimovic is like an umbrella’ – AC Milan chief

    Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is like an umbrella at AC Milan, according to CEO Ivan Gazidis – sheltering younger players from outside pressure and helping them develop.

    Ibrahimovic has had a transformative effect since returning to San Siro, with Milan top of the Serie A table as the New Year nears.

    Ibrahimovic is Milan’s top scorer with 10 goals to his name this season but younger players like Jens Petter Hauge, Brahim Diaz and Rafael Leao have also made important contributions.

    As far as Gazidis is concerned, Ibrahimovic’s presence has been a breath of fresh air.

    “The thing I am very happy about is the leadership we are showing, not only in Zlatan who obviously is like an umbrella for all players, he feels comfortable withstanding pressure and helping young players to grow,” he told Sky Sports. “Zlatan continues to call himself Benjamin Button, continues to rejuvenate.

  • Ibrahimovic survives COVID-19, tests negative

    Ibrahimovic survives COVID-19, tests negative

    AC Milan striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has tested negative for coronavirus, 14 days after he first tested positive.

    The Italian club announced that the striker tested negative to two consecutive swabs and health authorities have terminated his quarantine

    The 39-year-old first tested positive on September 24, prompting him to tweet: “I tested negative for COVID yesterday and positive today.

    “No symptoms whatsoever. The COVID had the courage to challenge me. Bad idea”, the striker tweeted.

    The player has also taken to Twitter to announce that his quarantine has ended.

    He said: “f..k COVID-19”, in the tweet and said God is coming for the virus.

    AC Milan are to play against Inter Milan next week after the international break.

    Inter Milan might be without key players for the Milan derby as they announced that Roberto Gagliardini and Radja Nainggolan tested positive for COVID-19.

  • Serie A: Ibrahimovic scores first goal since his return to Milan

    Serie A: Ibrahimovic scores first goal since his return to Milan

    Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his first goal for AC Milan since rejoining the club as they eased past Cagliari.

    Rafael Leao had given the Rossoneri the lead just after half-time before Ibrahimovic, starting for the first time since his return, doubled their advantage with a left-footed strike.

    The former LA Galaxy and Sweden striker had another goal ruled out for offside.

    Ibrahimovic, 38, signed a six-month deal at the Serie A side in December, with the option of another season.

    He scored 42 goals in 61 league games for the club between 2010 and 2012.

    It was AC Milan’s first win since early December and they remain 20 points behind league leaders Inter Milan.

  • Zlatan Ibrahimovic returns to AC Milan

    Zlatan Ibrahimovic has returned to AC Milan for a final challenge seeking to prove that he remains the superstar he claims to be.

    The 38-year-old Swedish striker signed a six-month contract with the struggling Italian giants on Friday vowing to help rescue their season.

    “I’m coming back to a club I hugely respect and to the city of Milan I love,” he said.

    “I’ll fight together with my teammates to change the course of this season. I will do everything to make it happen.”

    Ibrahimovic knows the game in Italy, having played for three different Italian clubs.

    He first joined Juventus in 2004, moving on to Inter Milan after the match-fixing scandal in 2006, then arriving at AC Milan in 2010 on loan before making the move permanent.

    In 85 games for AC Milan over two seasons, Ibrahimovic scored 56 goals.

    One of the most successful clubs in the world, AC Milan are 11th in the league just seven points above relegation.

    The club have come up short in their attacking options with just 16 goals in 17 games.

    Ibrahimovic left Los Angeles Galaxy last month after a two-year stay and 52 goals in 56 games, leaving him free to sign with another club.

    Milan must hope that showy Swede, never far from the headlines, will bring some punch and a winning mentality to the locker room.

  • Again! Vandals attack Ibrahimovic statue, nose cut off

    Vandals have cut off the nose of a statue of Zlatan Ibrahimovic outside Malmo’s stadium in Sweden.

    It is the latest act of vandalism directed at the statue since it was announced that Ibrahimovic had invested in a rival club last month.

    Former Sweden striker Ibrahimovic, 38, made his professional debut for Malmo 20 years ago.

    The statue’s artist Peter Linde has appealed for people to stop the vandalism.

    The former Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris St-Germain and Manchester United player is looking for his next club having left LA Galaxy at the end of the MLS season.

    On 27 November it was announced he had bought 25% of the shares in Hammarby, who finished third in this year’s Swedish championship

    That same day, the 3.5 metre high bronze structure, commissioned by the Swedish FA and unveiled on 9 October, was sprayed with paint, set on fire and a toilet seat put over its arm. Ibrahimovic’s house in Stockholm was also vandalised, with ‘Judas’ painted on the front door.

  • Vandals attack Ibrahimovic statue with saw

    Vandals have tried to saw through the feet of a statue of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and placed a rope around its neck.

    Police have put a fence up around the statue, outside Malmo’s stadium in Sweden, in case it falls down.

    It is the latest act of vandalism directed at the statue since it was announced that Ibrahimovic had invested in a rival club last month.

    Former Sweden striker Ibrahimovic, 38, made his professional debut for Malmo 20 years ago.

    The former Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris St-Germain and Manchester United player is looking for his next club having left LA Galaxy at the end of the MLS season.

    On 27 November it was announced he had bought 25% of the shares in Hammarby, who finished third in this year’s Swedish championship.

    That same day, the 3.5 metre high bronze structure, commissioned by the Swedish FA and unveiled on 9 October, was sprayed with paint, set on fire and a toilet seat put over its arm. Ibrahimovic’s house in Stockholm was also vandalised, with ‘Judas’ painted on the front door.

    The latest incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday morning.

    Malmo police spokesperson Eva-Gun Westford told BBC Sport an investigation had been opened and police would be looking at CCTV to identify the culprits.

    “Someone tried to saw the feet,” she said. “There is a risk now it could fall and we have placed a fence around it.”

    The statue’s artist Peter Linde has appealed for people to stop the vandalism.

    He told Sportbladet: “People act like they’re at war, but this isn’t war, it’s about football. It is so insane that one cannot respect that Zlatan is a free man.

    “I want the statue to be repaired and restored and for those who are doing this to realize how stupid they are.”

  • Ibrahimovic lambasts Ferguson’s Class of 92 for Pogba criticism

    Manchester United’s former players from the famous Class of 92 are critical of midfielder Paul Pogba because he was not loyal to former manager Alex Ferguson, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has said.

    Pogba, who came through Manchester United’s academy, left the club for free in 2012 after Ferguson fell out with the Frenchman’s agent Mino Raiola.

    But he returned following a four-year spell at Juventus for a then world record fee in 2016.

    The 26-year-old was criticised for his poor form earlier this season by former players Gary Neville and Paul Scholes, who work as television pundits.

    Ibrahimovic said it all stemmed from Pogba’s decision to leave Manchester United and Ferguson for Juventus.

    “With Pogba, he was with Manchester United when he was young, then he went out and he came back,” Ibrahimovic, who played with Pogba at Manchester United for one and a half seasons, said.

    “In the circle of Ferguson, they don’t like that because they stayed all their life under Ferguson and they never moved from Ferguson.

    “They didn’t even talk if Ferguson didn’t tell them to open their mouth. So, now if they’re talking, I don’t know whether Ferguson gave them permission or not.”

    Wales manager Ryan Giggs, who made more than 960 appearances for Manchester United and won 13 league titles under Ferguson, said the former players had a right to voice their views.

    “When you play over 2,000 games between us, we are going to have an opinion,” Giggs told reporters ahead of Wales’ friendly against Trinidad and Tobago.

    “Sometimes it’s positive, sometimes negative, but it doesn’t have an effect on results. We are supporters. That’s what football is about, having different opinions.

    “But he (Ibrahimovic) obviously knows more about the club than us,” Giggs sarcastically added.

    In spite of playing a crucial role in winning the 2018 FIFA World Cup with France last year, Pogba struggled for form at Manchester United earlier this season.

    That was under former manager Jose Mourinho, who benched the midfielder towards the end of his Old Trafford tenure.

    But Pogba then turned his campaign right around with nine goals and seven assists in all competitions after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was appointed caretaker boss in December.

    “I think Pogba has the potential to be the best player in the world in his position,” Ibrahimovic, now with MLS side LA Galaxy, added.

    “He’s a good guy, he trains hard, he listens, he wants to become better, he wants to win, he wants to perform in every game.

    “Things happening outside do not really bother him because when you are at that level, everyone will speak — positive, negative, in between.”

  • I wanted to join LA Galaxy before Man Utd move – Ibrahimovic

    LA Galaxy striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic says he wanted to join the Major League Soccer side two years ago, before signing for Jose Mourinho side, Manchester United.

    Ibrahimovic joined the Los Angeles club last week after the mutual termination of his Old Trafford contract.

    The Swede, 36, joined United in 2016 and scored 29 goals in 53 appearances.

    “[The move] was supposed to happen before Manchester United. My head was here. I wanted to come here,” he said at his first Galaxy news conference.

    Ibrahimovic moved to Old Trafford on a free transfer after four seasons at French giants Paris St-Germain and has also played for Barcelona, Juventus and both Milan clubs.

    He made 46 appearances and scored 28 goals in his first season with United. The Premier League club released him in June 2017 after his campaign was ended by early by a knee injury – before re-signing him in August.

    However, Ibrahimovic only played seven times for United this season, scoring once.

    “Things go like they are not supposed to go, but the destiny said I will come here,” he said. “Los Angles called and I answered.”

    Asked if he planned to come out of international retirement to play for Sweden at this summer’s World Cup, Ibrahimovic said: “If I want I am there.”

    He was also said he is fit to make his debut on Saturday against Los Angeles FC.