'I saw Man Utd star screaming at team-mates in dressing room - no one said a word to him'

View 2 Images

Marcos Rojo believes Zlatan Ibrahimovic is "the lion" he claims to be after watching how fiery he was in the Manchester United dressing room. The Swedish icon burst through the doors of Old Trafford in 2016 after joining on a one-year deal as a free agent.

Jose Mourinho secured the striker's services for 12 months with the option of a second-year extension to help boost the club's hopes of silverware. During his time with United, Ibrahimovic won the League Cup and Europa League.

He played in the same team as defender Rojo, who had a mutual friend with Ibrahimovic in Ezequiel Lavezzi, which boosted their relationship as a result. Speaking to TyC Sports in 2023, Rojo revealed just how animated the Swede could get in the dressing room with his team-mates, who tended to stay quiet during his rants.

He said: "He appeared in the group on a Friday, he had trained one day, and we travelled. He started the game and scored an incredible goal.

"They tied us, and they were hitting us with balls. He came in firing, 'You don't play football like that, this is a big club!' This guy arrived 10 minutes ago, and he's already screaming. [Wayne] Rooney and [Bastian] Schweinsteiger were there... nobody said anything to him. And I was thinking, 'Whoa, this is very spicy.'"

Ibrahimovic's desire for success was evident from the outset at United and could put him at odds with his team-mates. In fact, the striker even came to blows with Rojo in the dressing room.

View 2 Images

"In a game, he got heated, and I answered him," Rojo added. "I started b****ing about him. We both started to argue. The first half ended and we went to the dressing room. I said, 'No, now I have to go in and see what he does,' you saw. I was ready.

"I tell him, 'You stop yelling at me', he told me, 'No, you pass the ball to me, play forward'. He came, and everyone stopped. I stopped too, but I was saying, 'Grab this one', then Mourinho came in furious, he started kicking everything."

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.