‘He wants to win for himself’: Romelu Lukaku opens up on furious bust up with Zlatan Ibrahimovic during Coppa Italia clash as Inter star claims Swede star isn’t a team player and that veteran’s taunts made him ‘angry’
- Romelu Lukaku has claimed that Zlatan Ibrahimovic ‘plays for himself’
- The pair came to blows during Inter’s 2-1 Coppa Italia win earlier this season
- The Belgian, 27, insisted that he does not allow others to ‘push him around’
- Lukaku admitted he was ‘not happy’ about his reaction as tempers flared
- The Inter star has gone onto lead Antonio Conte’s side to the Serie A title
Romelu Lukaku has claimed that Zlatan Ibrahimovic ‘wants to win for himself’ as the Inter star shared his account of his furious clash with the veteran earlier this season.
The former Manchester United team-mates came to blows at the San Siro in January’s Coppa Italia quarter final as Antonio Conte’s side overcame a one-goal deficit to advance to the semi-finals with a 2-1 win.
Lukaku, 27, and Ibrahimovic, 39, squared up to each other and traded insults as tensions flared. The pair received one-match bans and a combined fine of £7,000 for ‘unsportsmanlike conduct’ in the aftermath.
Romelu Lukaku has opened up on his furious clash with Zlatan Ibrahimovic earlier this season
The former Man United team-mates came to blows in a feisty Coppa Italia quarter final
The Belgian marksman has gone onto lead his side to the Serie A title, ending Juventus’ decade-long reign at the summit of Italian football. Lukaku appeared to take a dig at the Swede this week, posting: ‘the real god has crowned the king!’ on Twitter.
‘Now bow down. King of Milano,’ the striker added, with a winking face and a crown emoji.
And Lukaku has opened up on the bust-up in January, admitting that he was ‘not happy’ about his reaction to Ibrahimovic’s taunts with Milan 1-0 up at the time, describing how the Swede is good for Serie A and that he ‘plays for himself’.
‘We were 1-0 down, I had missed a goal and I was a little angry. His words hit me. I am not happy about my reaction, but I don’t let myself get pushed around,’ Lukaku told Il Corriere della Sera via Football Italia.
Lukaku admitted the Swede’s taunts ‘hit him’ and he does not allow others to ‘push’ him around
‘I am humble, I am a winner, and I fight until death for my teammates’ victory.
‘Ibrahimovic is a great footballer, he’s won everywhere he’s been, scoring more than 500 goals. I had had a good relationship with him until I was at Manchester United, but we need these kind of footballers in Serie A.
‘He wants to win for himself, I want to win for Inter and Ronaldo for Juventus. Now, there is Mourinho at Roma. These are nice things for Italian football,’ he added.
Lukaku also revealed that he had long held ambitions to play football in Italy and that he was learning Italian while at Old Trafford with the help of Matteo Darmian – who also made the switch from Manchester to Inter.
Lukaku and Inter have had the last laugh after they were crowned champions of Italy last week
The Belgian took to Twitter to aim a dig at Ibrahimovic, who calls himself the ‘God of Milan’
‘It’s always been a dream to play in Serie A. When I was at Manchester United, I used to tell Darmian: “I’ll go to Inter, talk to me in Italian, and reply in English.”
‘When I arrived, I already knew the language and Italy has given me so much. We finished as runner-ups in Serie A and Europa League last season and Conte and I lived that as a defeat. We have been able to transform that into motivation.’
The 27-year-old hailed Conte, who had attempted to sign Lukaku from Everton when Chelsea boss, as ‘the best coach’ and dismissed rumours of the Italian’s exit from the club this summer amid links to the Tottenham job.
‘To me, Conte is the best coach and he immediately convinced me. When I signed with Inter, I texted him, saying: “I am arriving”,”’ Lukaku added.
‘No, I don’t think so [on exit rumours]. He is happy and he feels well here. He is coaching a team that follows him during games and training sessions. We have everything to open a new cycle and I want to do it with Inter.’
Lukaku added that Matteo Darmian taught him Italian while the pair were at Man United
