Jordan Balhassan 21/02/2021 09:00
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romulo Lukaku in confrontation (Reuters)
The Milanese derby is known throughout history for its warm temperament. The game that brings together Inter and Milan brought with it a series of events around, fan wars, aggressive football and a proper passion for a derby from the oldest and most well-publicized in the industry. If the passionate encounter needed more fuel, then it came recently in the form of the sharp confrontation between the two giants – Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romulo Lukaku.
The quarrel between the two stars of each team in the Italian Cup made the derby today (Sunday, 16:00) even more intriguing and placed them as faces of both sides of the city, but for them it was just another chapter in the history of rivalry that began when they played together in England and continued on social media. The game, like all Italian league games, will be broadcast on channel ONE2 for yes subscribers, HOT Cellcom TV and Partner TV.
On the face of it, Zlatan and Lukaku winked at the material that should march a great rivalry. Two great players, goal machines that change games in an instant and ones that the audience can easily connect to. However, if one refers to the past of the two strikers and the long line of clubs they have gone through along the way, it is doubtful whether they are the ones who should be the “symbol” of the biggest battle in Italy. For the fans it may not matter, because the bottom line is that the personal rivalry between the two serves as fuel that heats up the atmosphere even more.
United intervention and battle of tweets
In the 2017/18 season, Zlatan and Lukaku played for Manchester United but there was no great friendship between the two, worthy of their status full of ego and to this was added the fact that they competed for the same slot in the red attack. Over the years the Swede provided about one moment in training: “I and Lukaku had an intervention, I told him‘ I will give you £ 50 every time your first touch of the ball is good. He asked what he would get in return if they were all good and I replied ‘nothing, you will just become a better player’. He never agreed to interfere with me, probably fear. “
On the other hand, Lukaku reacted differently in an interview he gave in 2019 in which he actually praised the Swede for his cooperation at United: “Everything I learned from Zlatan was amazing, seeing him work helped me get better. I saw how he fights for his place and wants to get better, he is a guy who can make you enjoy and he has a great personality in the locker room. He would tell me his stories from Inter, Barcelona and also from Ajax. He is a funny man. “
It can be said that the first sign of Zlatan and Lukaku’s struggle began on social media. In February 2020, a month after Ibrahimovic’s arrival in Milan, Inter won 2: 4 in a crazy derby in which Lukaku scored twice. After the Belgian game he tweeted: “There is a new king for the city”. The Swede watched and waited for the right moment to respond. 8 months passed, Zlatan helped Milan win the derby and stung back: “Milan never had a king, it had God”.
Heavyweight duel
If at United it ended with amusing intervention and social media with funny winks, then the battle between Lukaku and Zlatan last month crossed the line. During the derby between Milan and Inter in the Cup, a confrontation developed that is not seen every day. The two strikers started a heated verbal confrontation when the team members and players were forced to separate the parties in order not to reach a violent physical confrontation. According to the television cameras, Ibrahimovic cursed the Narazuri striker, and told him, among other things, “Shit,” “Go fuck your mother,” “Donkey,” and more, when later and regardless of the Swedish incident, he was also expelled.
The day after the confrontation, the arrows were fired at Zlatan, who reportedly told Lukaku, “Go do your voodoo rituals elsewhere,” a statement aimed at stinging a traditional South African ceremony performed by the Belgian striker’s mother. This saying ignited the fire and led to a confrontation that without the team members on the lawn, could have ended differently. Although Zlatan stated: “There is no room for racism, we are all the same”, but the Italian association chose to investigate the case and in the end no sanctions were imposed against the AC Milan star.
In ZLATAN’s world there is no place for RACISM.
We are all the same race – we are all equal !!
We are all PLAYERS some better then others.https: //t.co/DhguHUOFte– Zlatan Ibrahimovic (@Ibra_official) January 27, 2021
The racist interest and the one-match suspension that each of the players suffered was left behind, but the well-publicized quarrel is still hot and breathing. In the days before the derby, mysterious graffiti appeared near the San Siro Stadium, with a drawing of the two during the confrontation with the caption: “Face to face, heart to heart.”
Mural Lukaku Zlatan di dekat Stadion San Siro, Milan. Find the insider’s true insights from the Coppa Italia.
Derby della Madonnina, Inter Milan vs AC Milan akan tersaji akhir pekan nanti dalam lanjutan Serie A. pic.twitter.com/MvA5QlzW6q– PanditFootball.com (@panditfootball) February 15, 2021
Battle for the summit
To the warm blood between Lukaku and Zlatan, add the fact that the derby will bring with it a meeting between the first Inter and the second Milan, with only a point separating the two, and you have a Milanese derby that has not been seen for years. In the statistics, too, there is rivalry among the stars, who are fighting for the kingdom of conquests in Serie A.
Lukaku now tops the table alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, scoring 16 goals and adding four assists in 21 appearances. Zlatan, who suffered an injury, played far fewer games (12) but was strong in the fight with 14 goals and a brace. In a short time, another chapter will come in the long rivalry between the Milan and Inter strikers, this time with the physical confrontation having to make way for a rise on the pitch. Who will celebrate at the end?
