Kevin knows score when it comes to top strikers
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KEVIN DE BRUYNE said it was a special moment sharing the pitch with two of the game’s greatest goalscorers last week.
But one of them – Sweden’s recordbreaking veteran Zlatan Ibrahimovic – reckons he did not even see the other, former Manchester United team-mate and Belgium talisman Romelu Lukaku.
At 41 years and 172 days, Ibrahimovic received a hero’s ovation from the Stockholm crowd as he broke Dino Zoff’s 30-year-old mark for being the oldest player to feature in a Euro qualifier.
But it was Lukaku who upstaged him, grabbing a hat-trick in Belgium’s 3-0 win in the Group F opener on Friday night to take his tally for his country to 71.
Manchester City playmaker De Bruyne (inset) is a huge fan of both. But a bitter feud that broke out between the pair in an Italian Cup quarter-final between AC Milan and Inter in 2021 is still simmering.
They headbutted each other, with abuse exchanged – and Ibrahimovic was sent off.
When asked about Lukaku’s treble on Friday, Ibrahimovic said: “I didn’t see him, he wasn’t in the game much.”
Lukaku, on loan in Italy from Chelsea, was far more conciliatory. He said: “That he does what he does at his age – hats off. No hard feelings – just respect.”
Belgium captain De Bruyne, who sees Belgium’s Golden Generation giving way to the ‘Next Generation’ with a host of new young players, is only too aware of Ibrahimovic’s 62 international goals – and 11 club league titles.
He said: “There are only good things to say about Ibra, what he has done in his career is unbelievable.
“But then we have Rom – and he does the same things, scores an incredible amount of goals.
“He has 71 goals already and he is only 29. That really says it all. Where that total ends up for him depends on how long he wants to keep playing for Belgium.
“I am lucky that I don’t have to decide who is where when ranking the great goalscorers.
“I may be the new captain, but we have also a new system and new players in the group. There were a lot of new, young guys but we played really well in what is one of the toughest games in our group. It is very promising and hopefully it’s just the start.”
Belgium travel to Germany for a marquee friendly on Tuesday, while Sweden have a qualifier at home to Azerbaijan tomorrow.