QUID GAMES
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has slammed Manchester United’s ‘small club mentality’ as he revealed he was docked £1 for taking a fruit juice from a minibar, writes GARY STONEHOUSE.
The now 40-year-old AC Milan striker moved to Old Trafford in 2016 on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain as one of Jose Mourinho’s first signings.
However, Ibrahimovic has now admitted how shocked he was when he found his wages had been docked by the measly amount one month.
And Ibrahimovic explained in his new autobiography Adrenaline just how staggered he was by how ‘one of the richest and most powerful clubs in the world’ operated daily.
He said: “One day I was in the hotel with the team before a game. I got thirsty so I opened the mini-bar and had a fruit juice.
“We played and then went home. Some time went by. My pay slip arrives.
“Normally I don’t look at it. I only do so at the end of the year to see what’s come in and what’s gone out.
“But that time, I don’t know why, I was curious and realised they’d taken a pound off my monthly wage.
“I called the team manager: ‘Excuse me, why have they taken a pound off my salary.’
“The team manager had a look and told me: ‘It was the fruit juice from the mini-bar.’ ‘Are you kidding, seriously?’ ‘No, I’m not. Here, if you order something you have to pay for it.’
“‘Sure, but I didn’t go to the hotel on my own accord. I wasn’t on holiday. It was my work place.
“I was there for Manchester. If I have to play and I’m thirsty, I have to drink. I can’t go on the pitch dehydrated.’
“Can you believe it? A quid? Something like that would never happen in Italy. These are the details that make a difference and earn the respect of the players.”
