AC Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic criticized Lakers star LeBron James and others on Thursday for their activism in what the former LA Galaxy star called “politics.”
In an interview with UEFA for Discovery + in Sweden on Thursday, the candidate in front said that, although he admires James’ talent, it is a “mistake” for athletes to get out of their gang and get involved socially and politically.
“[LeBron] It’s phenomenal in what he does, but I don’t like it when people have a kind of status, they go and do politics at the same time, “Ibrahimovic said. Do what you are good at. Make the category you do. I play football because I’m the best football player. “
“I don’t do politics. If I were a political politician, I would do politics. This is the first mistake people make when they become famous and gain a certain status. Stay out of it. Do what you do best because no No looks good. “
James was a force for social change and political action. His organization More than one vote drew more than 42,000 volunteers to work in the polls for the November election, helped some regain their voting rights and lobbied for black and youth voting.
He also focused on his hometown of Akron, Ohio.
I Promise School, opened in 2018, now has over 450 students in grades three through six. When the school was closed due to the pandemic, James and his team made sure that students received warm meals at home, including full Thanksgiving meals. This year, an affordable housing project for 50 families was launched. Also this month, plans have been announced for House of Thirty (an approval of the Akron area code), detailing how James will provide things like affordable family financial health programming, training and a community meeting space.
“I still know what I’m doing on the field and I’m obviously giving my all for the game,” James told The Associated Press in December. “But I can have a bigger impact on the field right now, more than I can on the field. And I want to continue to inspire people the way I play basketball. But there are still a lot of things I can do outside of the game. it helps to cultivate people, to inspire them, to unite them, to empower them. “
However, his sincerity was not always well received. In February 2018, a prominent conservative commentator told him to “shut up and negotiate” in response to his “speaking policy.”
Throughout his football career, Ibrahimovic has made headlines for acrobatic goals, bombastic praise and controversy on the field.
In January, he faced accusations of racism following a clash with Romelu Lukaku at Inter Milan during a clash in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia. Ibrahimovic, who often refers to himself in the third person, has been accused of using offensive language during his quarrels with Lukaku and later posted a message on social media reiterating his opposition to racism, and his coach will then support your claims.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.