Pogba fights racism, Zlatan signs

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has taken the battle against racism into his own hands in the wake of the continuing ‘‘ignorance’’ being shown at football stadiums across Europe.

The 26-year-old came off the bench as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side secured a 4-1 English Premier League win against Newcastle on Boxing Day, when he wore black-and-white wristbands during the warm-up.

‘‘No to racism’’ and ‘‘We are one‘‘, read the wristbands that Pogba asked team-mates to join him in wearing before the match, with the France international giving his to a young fan in the crowd.

The France World Cup winner later posted an image of that moment on Instagram with a Martin Luther King quote — ‘‘Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that’’ — and the hashtag NoToRacismWeAllOne.

‘‘It was my idea to do that,’’ Pogba said of the wristbands,.

‘‘I mean, I’ve been thinking about doing this but I don’t want to go through the Uefa or the Fifa. I have done it myself.

‘‘I think we have the chance to have this power to show things in football, on TV.

‘‘People see it so I think that will make people understand some things.

‘‘I think it’s ignorance. Ignorance and stuff like that, and just to show people that you are all one. We are all one.’’

Pogba reeled off a number of players when asked who he was supporting, from Napoli defender

Kalidou Koulibaly and Everton’s Moise Kean, to United teammates Jesse Lingard and Fred.

The 26-year-old was subjected to racism on social media at the start of the season, while he also mentioned Antonio Rudiger, after the Chelsea defender was allegedly targeted by racist abuse at Tottenham last Monday.

This was United’s first match since then and Pogba’s first at Old Trafford since September, with the midfielder inspired by the ‘‘Stand Up, Speak Up’’ anti-racism campaign initiated by Thierry Henry and backed by Nike in 2005.

■ VETERAN striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is returning to help his struggling former team AC Milan, who are reeling from a humiliating Serie A defeat and languishing way behind city rival Inter Milan.

Ibrahimovic’s arrival resembles something of a rescue mission for the seven-time European champions fallen on tough times.

That’s because Milan are mired in 11th place, a distant 21 points behind league leaders Inter, and none of their players has more than four league goals this season.

Matters reached a crushing low last Monday, when they endured their heaviest league defeat in 21 years, a 5-0 defeat at Atalanta.

The club desperately needs Ibrahimovic at his best to stem the rot and have a chance at qualifying for a European place next season.

‘‘I’ll fight together with my team-mates to change the course of this season,’’ said Ibrahimovic. The 38-year-old Swede has agreed a deal until the end of the season with the option to extend.