Zlatan Ibrahimovic could be facing a retrospective ban for violent conduct after he appeared to choke Simon Kjaer in Manchester United’s defeat to Fenerbahce on Thursday.
The Swedish striker came off the bench to replace the injured Paul Pogba and while he didn’t really make a mark on the game, he appeared to have left one on Fenerbahce defender Simon Kjaer.
After jostling for the ball, Ibrahimovic seemed to grab Kjaer by the throat, shouting in the defender’s face. Ibrahimovic and Kjaer — who, to his credit, did not react — were then separated by the referee and Jose Mourinho, and that was the end of the incident.
However, the Swedish striker could face a retrospective ban of up to three games if UEFA decide to take action, which would rule him out for the rest of the group stage.
The video of the entire incident can be viewed below:
Ibrahimovic himself later played down the incident, claiming it was “nothing”. The striker also came under fire from ex-Arsenal striker and club legend Ian Wright, who claimed that “no one else” would have wanted to sign Zlatan.
According to the Metro, Ian Wright had this to say: “From the start of the season, the only thing keeping him in the team was the fact that he was scoring those goals. I’m going to be totally honest, I’m not sure too many other teams would have signed him, even on a free.
“You look at the way the other teams are playing, all vibrant, teams with pace and exuberance. And you look at Man United, it’s slow, and he’s got a massive part to play in that. I’ve not seen Ibra play well for 10-15 games, and Man United need it especially the way they are playing.’
Ibrahimovic has been suffering his worst run of form since 2006, having failed to score in five consecutive league games. The 35-year old, who was signed on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain, has been one of many poor performers for this United side who are facing an exit from the Europa League after last night’s defeat.
