Zlatan Ibrahimovic Slams Referee from PSG vs. Bordeaux Match
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was in a foul mood after Paris Saint-Germain's 3-2 loss against Bordeaux on Sunday, insulting the referee and offending his adopted country by saying France doesn't deserve PSG. He has now apologised for the incident.
Continue for updates.
Ibrahimovic Punishments to be Decided This Week
Tuesday, March 17
Jonathan Johnson of ESPN confirms Ibrahimovic will find out the extent of his punishment on Thursday. The headline-grabbing striker is also under UEFA investigation after being harshly sent off during the Champions League round of 16 win over Chelsea, so could face a double-whammy of sentences in the coming days:
However, Johnson indicates the LFP may wait to notify Zlatan of its decision:
Zlatan Apologises for Outburst, Told to Leave France
Monday, March 16
BBC Sport shared Ibrahimovic's attempt to make amends after his comments following PSG's loss to Bordeaux.
"I was speaking in anger," Ibrahimovic said. "My remarks were not aimed at France or the French people."
The powerful forward confirmed he was "talking about football and not something else" after many believed he criticised the French nation with his comments.
PSG's official website provided additional comments from Ibrahimovic:
"First of all, my comments were not directed at people living in France. I was very angry at that time. If anyone took my words the wrong way; then I apologise for that, honestly. I have no problem with that, because I'm a man of honour. I also think the people of France are intelligent enough to understand the situation. But I repeat: I have no problem apologising to those people that were offended. I respect people that respect me. I received a great welcome when I arrived in France and I'm very happy here. I have had a fantastic time since I arrived in Paris, but I have no regrets and nobody will make me change my mind. So don't put words in my mouth. I was only talking about football, so let's just talk about football, because football here is the most important thing for me.
"
However,ย Franceโs far-right Front National leader, Marine Le Pen, isn't prepared to let the Swede off, telling France Info radio station, perย Guardian Sport, "Those who consider that France is a s--t country can leave it."
Zlatan Angry After PSG Loss
Sunday, March 15
As shared by this fan, Ibrahimovic didn't hold back one bit when he walked to the dressing room and saw a microphone after PSG's defeat (Warning: Strong language):
"avec le son https://t.co/wvfSXgAJYp via @infosportplus
โ philippe (@philousports) March 15, 2015"
Johnson initially believed the Swede made disparaging comments about the entire nation of France, but after multiple viewings of the clip and several others like it, he changed his mind:
PSG fell victim to a late goal from Diego Rolan, losing their third match of the season after Ibrahimovic had twice brought them back from deficits.ย ย ย ย
He took full advantage of a defensive miscue to score his first before Les Parisiens were handed a light penalty, which he converted. It wasn't enough to secure any points, however, as Rolan scored the winner midway through injury time.ย ย ย
The timing of the Sweden international's comments is odd given the events that transpired at Stamford Bridge just a few days before, when he was dismissed against Chelsea. Ibrahimovic referred to the Blues as "babies" for hounding the official and constantly complaining, per Sky Sports, and French Football Weekly's Andrew Gibney had to point out the irony:
It's not rare for footballers to express their anger at officials, but the 33-year-old took it one step further on Sunday. Suggesting France "doesn't deserve" a club like PSG is more than just a little inflammatory.
Gibneyย strongly disagreed with said notion:
Ibrahimovic can likely expect a hefty fine and possibly worse from the French Football Federation.
Sunday's loss allowed Lyon to move two points clear of PSG at the top after they battled hard to draw 0-0 with third-place Marseille at the Stade Velodrome.
