Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic didn’t mince words when he was honored in his hometown of Malmo while with the Swedish national team ahead of its qualifier against Kazakhstan.
The 30-year-old was honored by local authorities and given a place on the “Walk of Fame,” a memorial for those from the city who have achieved greatness in sports.
“It is a great honor, it means that I have done something during my career,” Ibrahimovic was quoted as saying by France Football. “We usually say that you cannot become a legend before death. But I am a living legend — at least in Malmo.”
A local journalist accused Ibrahimovic of supposedly suppressing his joy when he scored a goal, comparing him to Cristiano Ronaldo, who was criticized for the same thing when Real Madrid beat Granada last week.
“I see you, now you are trying to compare me to someone else. You cannot compare myself to him,” Ibrahimovic said. “When I score a goal after 27 seconds against Lille last weekend, there are still 89 minutes to play. I prefer to show my joy after the game, because anything can happen during a match.”
Sweden plays Kazakhstan in Group C of World Cup qualifying on Tuesday. Kickoff is at 2:30 p.m.
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