Former Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, has criticized Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman following the Dutch side’s dramatic Round of 32 elimination by Morocco.
The Netherlands were knocked out of the competition after suffering a 3-2 penalty shootout defeat to Morocco on Sunday. The match ended 1-1 after extra time, with Ismael Saibari converting the decisive penalty after Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saved Crysencio Summerville’s spot kick.
Reacting to the result, Ibrahimovic blamed Koeman’s tactical approach, saying the Dutch manager abandoned the attacking style traditionally associated with the Netherlands.
“This defeat is Koeman’s fault because I didn’t recognize this Dutch team,” Ibrahimovic told Fox Sports.
“He lost with an identity that is not the Dutch identity. That makes me angry. I was always taught: attack, attack, attack.”
The former Sweden international also praised Morocco’s performance and the fearless mentality of their coach, Mohamed Ouahbi.
“He said he is not afraid of anybody. That’s another reason to respect this Moroccan team. The Netherlands sat too deep, Morocco had possession, and the Dutch never looked comfortable defensively because they are naturally a team that likes to attack,” Ibrahimovic added.
Morocco’s victory secured their place in the next round, while the Netherlands bowed out after a closely contested encounter decided from the penalty spot.
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