Ashley Cole and Zlatan Ibrahimovic spent time together in Major League Soccer playing for the LA Galaxy. Cole didn’t delay to share an awkward incident involving the AC Milan striker during their time in the United States.
The former England international spoke with Romesh Ranganathan (via Marca), where he revealed that Ibrahimovic was difficult to deal with and that he always showed a different face in the dressing room than in the media.
“[Zlatan] has two personalities. With us in the dressing room, he was brilliant, quiet, very humble, but for the media, he was God,” Cole said.
“He had moments where he would come in the dressing room and really let people know about their ‘s*** touch, can’t run, you’re slow,’ but in front of the media, his persona changed.”
Ibrahimovic’s personality led him to confront Cole to the degree of almost getting into a fight after the Sweden international called out the defender for having a bad game.
“He tried to [confront me] once; he did throw his hands in the air,” Cole said. “And I said, ‘Put your f***ing hands down.”
It will be interesting to see what other stories players have from Ibrahimovic’s time in Los Angeles. Nonetheless, it isn’t a secret that the 39-year-old’s personality can rub some people the wrong way, so it comes as no surprise that Cole couldn’t stand Ibrahimovic for more than a couple of seasons.