Milan coach Stefano Pioli ignored the angry reaction of Zlatan Ibrahimovic after being replaced during a 5-1 victory over Bologna in the Serie A on Saturday.
The coach only said that the veteran Swedish player should not strain himself during this period in which the team is playing a large number of matches.
It was very clear that Ibrahimovic, 38, was angry when he was replaced in the 62nd minute of the match at the San Siro stadium in Milan, and this was the third time he had been replaced in 4 games after participating for about an hour.
🚨 According to @TelelombardiaTV:
Ibrahimovic told coach Pioli after replacing him yesterday: "Next time I replace another player, not me. Replace Calabria." pic.twitter.com/kXM305KyKf
--Milan Platform (@mnbermilan) July 19, 2020
As he left the field, the Swedish player ignored a gesture from coach Bioli.
"Naturally he was not happy with the replacement," Bioli said after the match. "He told me something, but I honestly did not understand it."
"He played an important role with the team, and I have to work to conserve his energy. We play every 3 days, and he is returning from injury."
According to Italian press reports, Ibrahimovic objected to his replacement, and he entered into an argument with his coach, who was calm, and preferred not to escalate, which was confirmed by his statements after the match.