Sweden head coach Janne Andersson insists Zlatan Ibrahimovic has not had any influence on the team’s preparations for their World Cup opener with South Korea.
LA Galaxy striker Ibrahimovic retired from international football after Euro 2016, but hinted at a possible return for this year’s finals in Russia during what proved to be a protracted commercial campaign.
Andersson says the 36-year-old is now firmly out of the picture when it comes to Sweden’s plans and has not had any involvement at any stage of the build-up to Monday’s match in Nizhny Novgorod.
He told a news conference: “I became the head coach almost exactly two years ago, after the Euros, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, together with a number of others, chose to announce they were leaving the national team.
“I respected that and that was the end point of his extraordinary career for Sweden. He hasn’t had any involvement whatsoever with the team since.
“There’s no link between him and the team, nor with any other players who have left.”