Zlatan Ibrahimovic says Lionel Messi ‘plays with statues’ at Miami

Former Sweden footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic has lashed out at Inter Miami players for not supporting Lionel Messi. The Herons suffered a 4-0 loss against European Champions Paris Saint-Germain in the Round of 16 in the ongoing Club World Cup on Sunday.

The former Swedish player said Messi’s teammates played like statues and feel they run like they are carrying bags of cement on their backs.

“It wasn’t Leo Messi who lost; it was Inter Miami,” the former Sweden forward said as quoted by ESPN.

“Messi plays with statues, not teammates. He’s surrounded by players who run as if they were carrying bags of cement.”

Ibrahimovic, who has the experience of playing for the big clubs in his career, said the fans could not see the best version of Messi as he didn’t receive support from his teammates.

“This isn’t the Messi I know,” he said. “If you put him in a real team, he’d go all-out. There are no coaches, no stars, not even players who understand how to move without the ball. If he were on a real team, any great team, you’d see the real lion.

“Messi plays alone because he loves the game, because he can still do what 99% of players can’t. But this isn’t the Messi I know,” he said.

Earlier in the tournament, Inter Miami had stunned FC Porto by 2-1 in the group stage. The Herons had become the first MLS team to ever beat a European club in official competition and the only MLS club to advance to the knockout round in this tournament.

“It was the game we expected,” Messi, 38, said after his team’s humbling loss to PSG. “We tried to do the best possible and we left a good image at the Club World Cup level.”