A new touchline row has shaken Inter, as Zlatan Ibrahimovic was caught on camera insulting Coach Roberto Mancini.
The Swede appeared very irritated when he was substituted in the 2-1 victory over Palermo this afternoon.
He did not shake the tactician’s hand, refused to make eye contact and was muttering all the way to the bench.
Ibrahimovic was caught on camera and the Italian media analysed his lip movements with the phrase “I hope he really does leave.”
The reference was clearly aimed at Mancini’s announcement this week that he was set to quit Inter at the end of the season.
The Coach changed his mind less than 24 hours later, but it may have done more damage than at first thought to the relations within the team.
“I was a player, so I understand. I did much worse than that! These things are understandable,” insisted Mancini.
After the television coverage of the incident, the official Inter website released a statement from Ibrahimovic.
“As I left the field I expressed my disappointment for the substitution and the chances I had missed, but I never said anything insulting towards the Coach.”
The touchline row comes just days after Luis Figo reportedly refused to come on as a substitute against Liverpool in the Champions League.
Here too there is some confusion over what actually happened, as the Portuguese international insisted there was nothing in it.
“I have never had any problems with Mancini. I am here to win and that is the most important thing,” said Figo.
“Clearly one cannot always be happy in case of a defeat. If people want to find a scapegoat for our Champions League exit, then that is not me.
“It is not true that I refused to play against Liverpool. I have never in my career refused to play, even if it was just for five minutes.”
Yet on Saturday Mancini’s Press conference statements seemed to suggest that Figo had called himself out.
“I was a player for 20 years, so I know someone can not like a Coach because he doesn’t let him play or always substitutes him, but I have never seen anyone pull back at the moment when fighting spirit is needed, especially out of respect for their teammates and the club. In any case, I am not vindictive and only look to the good of the collective. I won’t ask for a fine.
“I reacted perfectly well and nothing has changed for me. This is not a temporary truce until the end of the season until we decide to change. That is not the case.”
