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‘I get a kick out of doing things that hurt you’

The Local Sweden
The Local Sweden - [email protected]
‘I get a kick out of doing things that hurt you’
Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the press conference on Wednesday. Photo: Pontus Lindahl/TT

Sweden's star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has caused a stir after mouthing off in a press conference when a Swedish journalist asked about his business interests, ahead of his national side's Euro 2016 qualifier with Russia.

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Ibrahimovic, 33,  who has a long history of heated exchanges with reporters, lashed out when Olof Lundh from Swedish television network TV4 asked about his perfume and clothing line for Dressman.
 
He told the journalist: “I’m not allowed to earn money according to you. Every time something happens you say: ‘Doesn’t he have enough money?’ Isn’t that so?”
 
Lundh responded by saying he had not commented on the player's income, but the Swedish striker continued: “When the thing with Dressmann came up you said: ‘He’s got enough money. He doesn’t need to do this'."
 
After the TV4 reporter denied the conversation, Ibrahimovic responded that he got involved with such extra projects because they were "fun" rather than for the money.
 
“When I’m doing well and you feel a sting from it, then I’m enjoying myself even more … It’s the same as when I’m playing football – I get an extra kick out of it if it hurts you. That’s the best feeling.”
 
 
Lundh later told Sweden's Aftonbladet newspaper that he did not feel threatened by the Swedish footballer's tone. 
 
"No, I do not. I'm not here to make friends with either him or [Sweden manager] Erik Hamrén. I am here to ask questions."
 
Ibrahimovic, who has been playing for French Ligue 1 club PSG since 2012, used Wednesday's press conference to once again insist that he had no plans to leave Paris, following numerous rumours that he was poised to return to his former club Milan.
 
“It was concrete from their side and they showed great interest, but I said from the beginning that I am staying at PSG, I’m happy there."
 
The footballer makes headlines almost as regularly for his offhand comments as for his footballing prowess.
 
He has previously joked that a World Cup without him "isn't worth watching" and mocked a local reporter who didn't have his own camera by asking “so it is low-budget?”. In March he apologized after suggesting that France was a "shit country" following a row with a referee.
 
Sweden take on Russia on Saturday in their latest Euro 2016 qualifier. The Group G game will be broadcast in Sweden at 6pm on Kanal 5.

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