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Zlatan Ibrahimovic appeared to take a swipe at Cristiano Ronaldo and other Saudi Pro League players during his reveal-all interview with Piers Morgan.
The outspoken Sweden legend has never minced his words throughout his career, and even during retirement, he isn’t afraid to potentially upset his former pros. Ibrahimovic retired at the age of 41 at the end of last season following AC Milan’s final Serie A game of the season.
Ibrahimovic never played in Saudi Arabia but his reputation and character made him seem an ideal signing for a money bag Saudi side. However, retirement put paid to any potential move, something Ibrahimovic admitted the Saudi Pro League tried to make happen.
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In a seeming dig at players like Cristiano Ronaldo, who have moved to play in Saudi, he told Piers Morgan: “I had an offer also from China. I had an offer also from Saudi, but the situation is, what do you want? What objectives do you have?
“I said before we started, like certain players need to finish their career on the big stage because that is the high end of your career. You have to be remembered for your talent, not for what you earned. Because if you were remembered in the opposite way, what we are training every day for, what we are being recognized for, is our talent and that's what you want to be remembered for.
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“So I think certain players that reach a certain level, they have to stop at a certain stage, and that's the big stage. You cannot go in a lower stage and finish your career in a different way. But some players needed the situations where you can earn a lot of money because they didn't earn enough.”
Talking about whether he would have a moral problem playing in Saudi Arabia, Ibra revealed: “No, absolutely not. You have the golf situation now. They came together and they made it one, so I am just sorry for the players that didn't go before because they didn't get the money that the [other] players got.
“Listen, wherever you play football, it's football. Football connects people. It's a dream we share, both of us. You are a fan, you are not a professional. You (Morgan) are an Arsenal fan, and I feel sorry for you a little bit, but as a professional football player, as long as you play football, and Saudi is growing, MLS is growing. China had a peak, and then I don't know, the situation changed there.
“But a moral thing, no, we do things for ourselves and our family. Who would judge you in 5 or 10 years when you have a wealthy, healthy life and have a good life? Because I don't think anything is for free. You don't work for free. I don't work for free. I don't need money but I am very expensive, that's the difference.”
To watch the full interview go to Piers Morgan Uncensored on YouTube.
- Cristiano Ronaldo
- Piers Morgan
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic
- Saudi Pro League
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