Zlatan Ibrahimovic doesn’t hold back often. But when he does, everyone listens. And after Belgium’s World Cup quarterfinal loss to Spain, he made sure the finger-pointing started at the top.
The former Manchester United striker went after Belgium coach Rudi Garcia for bringing on Senne Lammens after Thibaut Courtois went down with an injury. Lammens, the United goalkeeper who won Premier League signing of the season, came on in the 71st minute for his first World Cup action. Nineteen minutes later, he spilled a shot from Pau Cubarsi, and Mikel Merino pounced to give Spain the lead in the 88th minute. Belgium never recovered.
Speaking to Fox Sports, Ibrahimovic didn’t mince words.
“I hold the national coach responsible for this defeat,” he said. “It’s a decision that cost Belgium the match.”
His frustration centered on Garcia’s choice to go with Lammens instead of Mike Penders, the Strasbourg goalkeeper who remained on the bench. Ibrahimovic questioned the logic behind it.
“Why replace Courtois with Senne Lammens from Manchester United, while Mike Penders remains on the bench?” he asked. “Is it because Lammens plays for Manchester United and Penders for Strasbourg? That’s not how you select a goalkeeper for a national team. Especially when you see what happens next.”
Lammens under fire after a strong season
It’s a rough ending for a guy who had an otherwise brilliant first season at Old Trafford. Lammens took the starting job from Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir, winning over United fans with his composure and command of the box. His performances earned him a spot on Belgium’s World Cup roster, though he had been watching from the bench until Courtois got hurt.
Ibrahimovic wasn’t done. He took a strange swing at Lammens directly, calling him overrated.
“Lammens isn’t a good goalkeeper at this level,” the Swede said. “He’s overrated. Penders is much better, and everyone can see it.”
That take is a little hard to square with Lammens winning the league’s best signing award. But Ibrahimovic has never been one to let facts get in the way of a strong opinion.
He finished by turning his fire back on Garcia and the coaching staff.
“Managing the situation so badly. It’s shameful. Shame on you, national team coach and goalkeeping coach.”
Belgium is now heading home earlier than expected, and Lammens will have to live with that mistake for a while. Whether he gets another chance at this level depends on how he bounces back at United next season. But for Ibrahimovic, there’s no question who deserves the blame.
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