Former Sweden midfielder Zlatan Ibrahimovic has hit out at Argentina’s Leandro Paredes for the poor performance after the FIFA World Cup final, saying he would have “hit his head” if he had been on the pitch and accusing Spain’s players of failing to stand up for their teammates.The spectacular show in New Jersey ended when Spain lifted the World Cup trophy thanks to Ferran Torres’ extra time winner in the 106th minute. However, the celebrations were overshadowed by post-game chaos involving several Argentine players and members of the coaching staff. Speaking on his Fox Sports show, Ibrahimovic did not hesitate to criticize Paredes’ performance, calling the midfielder “not good” as he expressed disbelief at Spain’s performance.
‘I would have punched him in the head’
Anger ran high after the final whistle as emotions ran high after Argentina’s defeat. The dramatic exchange came after Enzo Fernandez had already been sent off late on, frustrations set in after the game.Broadcast footage showed Nahuel Molina punching Rodri, while Paredes was seen kicking Eric Garcia before grabbing Gavi by the throat and dragging the Barcelona player to the ground. Roberto Ayala, who is one of Argentina’s coaches, also appeared to be involved in the game as players and officials from both teams rushed to separate those involved.Based on the incident, Ibrahimovic singled out Paredes to criticize him.“Paredes can be happy that there was no player like me on the pitch. If I was there, I would have hit him in the head and sent him off. It’s a bad behavior for him,” he said.The former AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United player has built a reputation for outspokenness throughout his career, and his comments after the World Cup final were some of the most powerful in the game.
Zlatan is suspicious of Spain’s lack of response
While Paredes was the most criticized by Ibrahimovic, the Swedish icon was also surprised by the actions of the Spanish players, believing that he could have done more to protect his teammates during the match.“I don’t know what the Spanish players are doing? They’re just watching one player beat another,” Ibrahimovic said.The confusion led to a tense contest in which Spain took control before Ferran Torres finished in extra time. Argentina struggled to create meaningful opportunities throughout the game and their frustration grew as the final whistle approached.ALSO READ: No apologies: Argentina’s Leandro Paredes breaks his silence after World Cup clash against Spain
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (AP Photo)
FIFA is investigating Paredes’ conduct
Although many expected Paredes to receive a red card for his actions after the post-match brawl, reports later stated that no suspension was given for the incident.However, the midfielder could still face retaliatory punishment, with FIFA opening an investigation into what happened after the final whistle.Paredes stopped talking on social media but stopped talking about what was there. Instead, he thanked Argentina’s supporters and expressed his pride in representing his country despite the unfortunate defeat.“Today, I am writing with a broken heart, as I was not able to bring our country the happiness it deserves – but with a proud chest for giving everything we had and flying our flag high again,” he wrote.
