´Let me go on holiday already´ – Zlatan rubbishes rant ban

Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic slammed his four-match suspension for verbally abusing a referee as “a farce” and claimed he should have been banned for the rest of the season so he could go on holiday.

The Ligue de Football Professionnel, which runs France’s Ligue 1, revealed on Thursday that Ibrahimovic will miss league fixtures against Nice, Lille and Metz, with the fourth match of his ban suspended.

Ibrahimovic received the penalty for a foul-mouthed rant about match officials in France, which was captured by French television station Canal Plus, after a 3-2 loss to Bordeaux in March.

The Swedish forward appeared to say: “[I’ve] played 15 years I’ve never seen a referee this s*** country. Don’t even deserve PSG to be in this country. F****** too good for all of you.”

PSG labelled the punishment “disproportionate” on Friday, while both the capital club and Marseille announced they will boycott Canal Plus for the rest of the season.

Ibrahimovic was equally unimpressed, although he claimed the suspension supported his previous comments.

“I was pleased as this proves what I have been saying. Now people can see for themselves, with their own eyes, instead of me just saying it,” Ibrahimovic wrote on Zlatan Unplugged – his Mikz app feed.

“The whole situation has become a farce – ridiculous and unprofessional. A disgrace to football.

“I would have been even happier if they had suspended me for the rest of the season so I could have gone on holiday already.”

The outspoken 33-year-old added: “There are no grounds for this.

“My words are not aimed at the referee. We had a normal conversation and he has confirmed this.

“If my words had been aimed at the ref I would have apologised when it happened.”

Ibrahimovic will still be allowed to play in Sunday’s Coupe de la Ligue final against Bastia, as his suspension is set to begin on April 14.