The rivalry between Inter’s Romelu Lukaku and AC Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic dates back to their time together at Premier League side Manchester United, according to an Italian media report today.
La Repubblica explain that the two played only a little together during their one season together in Manchester and both shared the same agent, before Lukaku replaced Mino Raiola with Federico Pastorello.
The two forwards ended up engaged in a vicious war of words during last night’s Coppa Italia quarter-final clash and even ended up head-to-head with one another at one stage during the incident.
Tensions continued even after the referee Paolo Valeri had blown for half-time, with a clearly fuming Lukaku needing to be held back by teammates and Inter coaching staff.
Ibrahimovic today denied claims he had used a racial slur against Lukaku, telling his followers on Twitter: “In Zlatan’s world there is no place for racism.”
Ibrahimovic had given AC Milan the lead in the first half and Lukaku got Inter back level and got the last laugh as well as Inter won the match 2-1 in the end.