Ibrahimovic has hit out at Cesar Azpilicueta for trying to ‘act big’ and revealed that his shoulder barge on the Chelsea star during Sweden’s match against Spain was deliberate.
The incident took place during a World Cup qualifier between the two sides on November 14, where Ibrahimovic landed a nasty shoulder tackle on the Spain defender, who stayed on the ground for a few minutes.
In an interview with the Guardian, Ibrahimovic addressed the reckless challenge he made on Azpilicueta during Spain’s recent World Cup qualifier against Sweden.
He said: “The other day in the national team, I gave a tackle to (Spain’s Azpilicueta). I did it on purpose. I’m not ashamed to say it because he did something stupid to my player.
"Acting big to my player. It was a stupid thing but I would still do it to make him understand: ‘You don’t f*****g do that. You don’t have balls to do it against me. But I will show you what happens if you do it to me. That’s why I did it.”
Azpilicueta eventually got the last laugh, as Spain won the game 1-0. He also managed a smile after the match, telling fans that everything was ‘All good around here’ despite the wrestling move from Ibrahimovic.
It always pays to be the bigger man, which is exactly how the Spaniard usually approaches his profession. Something that cannot be said the same for Sweden’s veteran forward.
