Controversial AC Milan striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, has insisted that athletes should “stick to sports”. Ibrahimovic was addressing comments aimed at Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.
Speaking in a news conference Tuesday ahead of the start of the Italian music festival Sanremo, he said: “Athletes unite the world, politics divide it.
“Our role is to unite the world by doing what we do best. Athletes should be athletes and politicians should do politics.”
Last week, Ibrahimovic had told LeBron to stay away from politics. The comments prompted a response from James, who said he speaks “from a very educated mind, so I’m kind of the wrong guy to actually go at, because I do my homework.”
The four-time NBA champion, LeBron James, hit back at AC Milan striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, insisting there is no reason he cannot have such a big impact off the court.
James has been a force for social change in America, focusing on fighting police brutality and racial injustice against African Americans.
The basketball superstar was outspoken about the shooting of Jacob Blake, against Donald Trump and worked with other NBA players to try and get Black people out to vote during the 2020 US election that brought Joe Biden to power.
“I am kind of the wrong guy to go at because I do my homework,” James said this after the Los Angeles Lakers beat Portland Trail Blazers 102-93 on Friday night.
James was responding to Ibrahimovic’s comments earlier this week, that athletes should “stay out” of politics, mentioning James by name and calling him out over his political activism.
Read Also: Serie A: I Joined AC Milan Because I Want To Compete With Ronaldo – Ibrahimovic
Recall, too, that recently, Ibrahimovic, has come out to defend himself against accusations he aimed racist slurs at Inter Milan’s Romelu Lukaku during the Coppa Italia quarterfinal on Tuesday.
In an Instagram post where he said a black and a white kid hug and hold hands, he commented that there was no place for racism in “Zlatan’s world.”
Ibrahimovic and Lukaku, who played together at Manchester United, had an angry exchange at the end of the first half and had to dragged apart by other players and escorted out of the pitch.
The referee cautioned the duo, before showing another yellow card to Ibrahimovic and sending him off for a foul on Aleksandar Kolarov in the second half.
AC Milan went on to lose 2-1.
The BBC claimed Ibrahimovic had said “go do your voodoo” to Lukaku, an apparent reference to 2018 comments from Everton owner Farhad Moshiri that the Belgian turned down an offer to stay in Merseyside on the advice of a “voodoo message.”
Read Also: Europa League: Ibrahimovic May Miss AC Milan, Man United Clash
However, Ibrahimovic has now said: “In Zlatan’s world there is no place for racism. We are all the same race — we are all equal. We’re all players, some better then others.”y
The Italian Football Federation is yet to act on this.
Post Disclaimer
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author and forum participants on this website do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Anaedo Online or official policies of the Anaedo Online.