Zlatan Ibrahimovic and his history of high-profile clashes

It is no secret that Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a fiery character, an outspoken figure who has never shied away from controversy and has led him to numerous clashes with several other personalities in the world of sport.

Of course, his most recent dispute has seen him lash out at basketball star LeBron James for his political activism, stating: "If I was a politician, I would dedicate to politics. This is the first mistake famous people make when they feel they've made it," to which the Los Angeles Lakers player replied: "There is no way I will just stick to sports because I understand this platform and how powerful my voice is."

Ibrahimovic's rows go all the way back to his Ajax days. Back when he was teammates with Golden Boy award winner Rafael van der Vaart, their relationship soured when the Swede injured the Dutch midfielder when they faced each other at an international game. Van der Vaart then publicly accused Zlatan of kicking him on purpose, to which the striker responded by dismissing his claims, not without upping the ante: "If you accuse me again I will break both of your legs, and this time it will be on purpose."

One of his most notorious fights, however, saw him face off with legendary manager Pep Guardiola during his sole season at Barcelona. Disgruntled by the manager's deployment of him on the wing in favour of Lionel Messi, he compared himself to a Ferrari with a tank full of diesel fuel, also accusing Guardiola of "hiding away" from confrontation, before eventually leaving the club for AC Milan.

His most recent encounter on the pitch, however, came during a Derby della Madonnina game against Internazionale, where he bitterly squared off against Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku. The clash came after a foul, and both earned yellow cards after the incident. After the game, Lukaku even accused Ibrahimovic of racial abuse towards him, which the Swede vehemently denied.

No return to Old Trafford

Zlatan was expected to be a nailed-on starter for AC Milan's Europa League game against his old team Manchester United on March 11, but a groin injury has effectively ruled him out of both legs of the affair.