Zlatan return talks irk Sweden boss

– The final whistle which signalled that Sweden had qualified for the World Cup was still echoing around the San Siro when the speculation began – will retired record goal-scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic (right) return for the finals in Russia?

Sweden had just secured a 1-0 aggregate victory over Italy with a squad short on big names, a team that snatched second place in European qualifying Group A from the Dutch and beaten France at home before knocking out Italy, all without Zlatan.

“This is incredible. The player has just stopped to play one-anda-half years ago and we are still here talking about him,” Sweden boss Andersson told reporters when asked if Ibrahimovic was set

Stockholm

to return.

Shortly after the game Zlatan posted a picture on social media with the caption “We are Zweden”. By yesterday, it had over a million likes on Instagram, but Andersson didn’t seem positive.

“Zlatan is, as I expressed it, our greatest player of all time, a fantastic athlete in every way, but he has chosen not to take part,” he told a news conference in Milan yesterday.

“These guys who did take part and have performed fantastically. It’s sad to sit and talk about someone who hasn’t been here. I have a gang that has done fantastic, we can talk about them instead.”

Andersson’s players were not in the mood to discuss a possible return either. – Reuters