Zlatan Ibrahimovic threatened ‘to hurt’ Nedum Onuoha during multiple clashes before entering Real Salt Lake’s dressing room after match
Ibrahimovic allegedly wanted to apologise after the full-time whistle... but Onuoha was having none of it
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored another goal for LA Galaxy on Sunday, winning them their home clash with Real Salt Lake with a close-range finish 12 minutes from time.
While the strike was one of the least eye-catching he has scored since joining MLS from Manchester United, Zlatan's moment still hit the headlines due to his celebration.
Or rather, his lack of celebration.
Ibrahimovic took the opportunity to renew a battle with Nedum Onuoha which had been raging all game, getting in the former Manchester City and QPR defender's face and shouting at him.
This was the final act of a duel which began when he put his arm around Onuoha's neck and pulled him to the ground, with the pair then going head-to-head as tensions boiled over.
Onuoha, to his credit, decided against reacting when Ibrahimovic got in his face - despite claiming to have been threatened by the ex-Sweden international.
The RSL star revealed after the match that Ibrahimovic came into their dressing room to seek out Onuoha, but he was refusing the striker's apology as he was threatened with injury throughout the game.
"He came into apologise after the game," said Onuoha, "because from 60 minutes in, he’s saying he’s going to do me, he’s going to hurt me for that game.
"This is a guy who says he’s the face of the MLS, as he calls in himself, and he plays that way on the field.
"I don’t care — if someone comes in and says that to me, you don’t say that on the field. I don’t care. I’m not going to accept his apology. It’s unacceptable."
Ibrahimovic himself discussed the incident.
"What happens on the field stays on the field," he said. "I like to feel alive. I like when it becomes duels and that because sometimes, not that I fall asleep, but I don’t feel alive if they don’t activate me.
"They need to activate me or else it becomes too easy.
"I know me. When I get angry I feel good."
Questions have previously been raised about his conduct in MLS, especially when he slapped Montreal Impact defender Michael Petrasso around the face last May. There were calls for Ibrahimovic to face an extended ban, but he was punished only with the automatic one-match suspension that came with the red card he was shown after the incident.