Zlatan responds to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Manchester United exit and tearful World Cup elimination

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Zlatan Ibrahimovic says he sympathises with Cristiano Ronaldo‘s emotional response when Portugal were knocked out of the World Cup.

Portugal were beaten in the quarter-finals by Morocco, with Ronaldo a second half substitute. He was pictured in tears at the final whistle.

Ibrahimovic was quoted by The Mail, commenting: “Everybody wants to win the World Cup; not everybody gets to win the World Cup.

“Everybody is trying and if you don’t win it obviously you’ll get emotional, if you win it, you get also emotional in a different way.”

Zlatan responds to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Manchester United exit

Ibrahimovic also discussed Ronaldo’s departure from Manchester United, which was resolved before World Cup 2022 began.

Ronaldo’s exit was contentious, with the forward effectively forcing a move, by criticising manager Erik ten Hag for failing to select him as a regular starter.

Ten Hag and Ronaldo had previously clashed when the striker refused to come off the bench against Tottenham and was subsequently suspended.

Zlatan said he felt there was more to the story, from both sides, suggesting both player and club are more interested in self-preservation.

He said: “His exiting United, I think when things happen, we will never know the true story.

“They say what they want to say, he says what he needs to say to protect himself, then you have the coach that says these things to protect himself.

“Then the club says things – not like me, I will tell you how it really happened. But we are all different. Everybody is careful about their image.

“For me the perfect image is being yourself. The true story we will not know my friend.”

Zlatan still going strong

Zlatan is still a part of the AC Milan squad, after helping them to win Serie A last season, their first in a decade.

Ronaldo could take inspiration from the great Swede, who is 41. He left Manchester United in 2018, and when he joined LA Galaxy, it appeared as though his career at the top level was over.

He used his spell in MLS to reset, before returning to Europe with AC Milan. This is a path Ronaldo could re-tread, if he takes a step backwards, he could use it as a launch pad to prolong his career, to play into his 40s, when more attractive options may open up for him.