Football

Ibrahimovic, Lukaku fines for spat go to charity

AFPMilan
Sweden's forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic (L) and Sweden's forward Alexander Isak attend a training session of Sweden's national football team in Solna, on 30 March 30 2021, prior to the friendly match between Sweden and Estonia on 31 March 2021.
AFP

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku's fines for squaring off in a row during an Italian Cup match will be donated to charity, their rival Milan clubs said on Thursday.

AC Milan striker Ibrahimovic went head-to-head with his Inter Milan counterpart during the Cup quarter-final in the San Siro on 26 January.

The former Manchester United teammates traded insults and were both charged with unsportsmanlike conduct.

In a joint statement the clubs said the incident was "not in keeping with the shared principles of sporting fair play" and pledged the sum which has yet to be decided in a plea deal with the Italian Football Federation would go to charity.

The heated altercation began at the half-time whistle in the San Siro.

Czech Republic's defender Ondrej Celustka (R) and Belgium's forward Romelu Lukaku vie for the ball during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualification football match Czech Republic v Belgium in Prague on 27 March 2021.

Ibrahimovic taunted Lukaku and infuriated the Belgian by laughing in his face before the pair went head-to-head.

They continued to trade insults as they headed towards the tunnel with a furious Lukaku being restrained by his teammates.

Both players were booked over the incident and Ibrahimovic was subsequently sent off after picking up a second yellow card for another incident.

Both scored in the game which Inter won 2-1.

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