Zlatan Ibrahimovic has apologised after comments he apparently made about France and French football were picked up on camera.
The Swedish striker was walking off the field after his Paris St Germain side suffered a surprise and damaging 3-2 defeat at Bordeaux.
Ibrahimovic scored twice but it was not enough to get PSG the win and they trail Lyon by two points at the top of the Ligue 1 table.
As he walked off the field Ibrahimovic - no stranger to making controversial remarks - was reportedly filmed making derogatory remarks about France as a country, adding "(they) don't even deserve PSG".
French sports minister Patrick Kanner called on the Swede to apologise, telling him "disappointment did not justify his offensive comments".
He later called Ibrahimovic a "great champion" after the player wrote on his Instagram account: "Regarding my comments after tonight's game; they were not against France or the French people.
"I spoke about football. I lost the game, I accept that but I can't accept when the referee doesn't follow the rules. It's not the first time and I'm sick of it.
"My sincere apologies if anyone was offended or took it the wrong way."
Ibrahimovic's outburst comes less than a week after he accused Chelsea's players of acting like "babies" after he was sent off in his side's Champions League victory over the Blues.
Source: PA
