Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice against Denmark to send Sweden through to Euro 2016.
Advertisement
After the game, in typically modest fashion, he said:”They said they were going to send me to retirement. I sent their entire country into retirement”, he told Sweden’s Kanal 5.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s double helped Sweden reach their fifth successive European Championship finals after surviving a late onslaught from the hosts.
Denmark did manage to make it 2-2 with an injury-time leveller, but it wasn’t enough to upset Ibrahimovic’s apple cart – especially after the Danish press had taunted him about possibly impending retirement from global football and about his never having scored against his neighbours (before this play-off fixture was drawn).
The Swedes had a 2-1 lead from the first leg on Saturday and the Paris Saint-Germain striker put them further in front in the 19th minute when he met Kim Kallstrom’s corner and twisted to sweep the ball past Kasper Schmeichel. “I am very happy in PSG, I have my last six months and let us see what happens afterwards”, added the player who has also won league titles in the Netherlands, Spain and Italy. The second leg ended 2-2, with Ibrahimovic scoring both of his country’s goals. Late goals by Yussuf Poulsen and Jannik Vestergaard provided a few comfort for the home fans, but once again they struggled to create and convert chances. “I’m very happy at PSG”.
“All of the chat before, and we took ourselves to the play-offs”, he said. “A lot of people complain that I’m old and weak, but it doesn’t look like that”.
Advertisement
Following the defeat Denmark’s veteran coach Morten Olsen chose to call it a day after 15 years at the national team’s helm.
