‘Ibra’ faces sanctions over anti-France rant
Print Edition
CALLS mounted yesterday for action against Paris Saint-Germain’s temperamental star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic over comments he made about his host country which one French minister called “insulting”.
The French league will study the Swedish player’s latest outburst at a meeting on Thursday and could take sanctions. Even though Ibrahimovic has already apologized for his outburst, far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen said he should leave France.
Ibrahimovic, who was controversially sent off in the Champions League game against Chelsea last week, had scored twice to level a key league game against Bordeaux on Sunday which PSG lost 2-3 to drop back in the title race.
Furious at decisions made against PSG, Ibrahimovic stormed off the pitch and said in front of TV cameras: “In 15 years, I have never seen such a referee. In this shit country, this country does not deserve PSG. We are too good for this country.”
The 33-year-old Swedish international backed down after France’s Sports Minister Patrick Kanner called the remarks “insulting”.
“I would like to apologize if anyone felt offended. I want to make it clear that my remarks were not directed at France or the French. I was talking about football, I lost the match and I accept that but I don’t accept when the referee does not follow the rules.
“I expressed myself when I was upset and everyone knows that in these moments, the words surpass the meaning,” Ibrahimovic said in a statement.
But the apology did not calm the row.
Kanner welcomed the apology but said “if a personality as important as Zlatan Ibrahimovic makes such comments, we should not be surprised that there are such difficulties in stadiums”.
“Those who consider that France is a shit country can leave it,” Le Pen told the France Info radio station.
Ibrahimovic, who has just returned from one two-match suspension and will be suspended for the two-leg Champions league quarterfinal for his sending off last week, could face a new ban which could see him miss the key French game against Olympique Marseille on April 5.
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