I have done more for France than the French president: Ibrahimovic

Published June 7, 2016
Sweden's forward and team captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic reacts during the friendly football match between Sweden and Wales. — AFP/File
Sweden's forward and team captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic reacts during the friendly football match between Sweden and Wales. — AFP/File

PARIS: Former Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic said Tuesday he did more for France than President Francois Hollande simply by paying the top rate of tax on his earnings.

“Ibra came and took power in France,” the Swede, who is preparing for Euro 2016 after winning won four league titles, three League Cups and two French Cups in four seasons at PSG, told Le Monde newspaper.

The former Ajax, Juventus, Milan and Barcelona striker said he earned more than 20 million euros ($22.7 million) in the first half of 2015, and claimed he paid 75 percent of it in tax.

“I help this country more than he (Hollande) does because I continue to pay it (the top rate),” Ibrahimovic said.

“I can tell you as I do my own tax returns.

“I pay my taxes and help this country. I could even make him popular (Hollande) — it's just I'm not sure I want to,” he said of the deeply unpopular Socialist leader.

New polls last week showed Hollande only had a 14-percent approval rating after three months of sometimes violent demonstrations against the government's controversial labour reforms.

Despite being among the most unpopular French post-war leaders, Hollande is considering whether to stand for a second term in next May's presidential elections.

When asked if he was on the left or right of the political spectrum, Ibrahimovic said he didn't like to talk politics because he didn't know anything about it.

“I'm a man of the people, neither left nor right,” he said.

The 34-year-old, who has been linked with Manchester United, had hinted he might reveal his new club Tuesday.

Opinion

Editorial

Digital growth
Updated 25 Apr, 2024

Digital growth

Democratising digital development will catalyse a rapid, if not immediate, improvement in human development indicators for the underserved segments of the Pakistani citizenry.
Nikah rights
25 Apr, 2024

Nikah rights

THE Supreme Court recently delivered a judgement championing the rights of women within a marriage. The ruling...
Campus crackdowns
25 Apr, 2024

Campus crackdowns

WHILE most Western governments have either been gladly facilitating Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, or meekly...
Ties with Tehran
Updated 24 Apr, 2024

Ties with Tehran

Tomorrow, if ties between Washington and Beijing nosedive, and the US asks Pakistan to reconsider CPEC, will we comply?
Working together
24 Apr, 2024

Working together

PAKISTAN’S democracy seems adrift, and no one understands this better than our politicians. The system has gone...
Farmers’ anxiety
24 Apr, 2024

Farmers’ anxiety

WHEAT prices in Punjab have plummeted far below the minimum support price owing to a bumper harvest, reckless...