Diego Maradona brands Louis van Gaal 'the devil' over Falcao treatment

Diego Maradona has likened Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal to “the devil” for his treatment of striker Radamel Falcao.

Colombia international Falcao has failed to make much of an impact following his loan move from Monaco in the summer, and has been a substitute in each of United’s past five games.

Injuries and a chronic lack of goals – just four in 20 Premier League appearances – have seen him move to the margins of the Dutchman’s squad despite his formidable pedigree as a centre-forward.

Maradona was asked about Falcao’s plight during a press conference in Colombian capital Bogota and savaged Van Gaal for the way he has used the 29-year-old.

"Van Gaal is not a nice guy,” said Maradona. 

“Van Gaal is closer to the devil than anything.” 

Falcao suffered a serious knee injury last season with Monaco which ruled him out of the World Cup finals – a situation which Maradona feels explains his travails this season.

"Falcao's time was cut short after the injury and he has had to adapt to the move."

OUR VIEW (Eurosport - Tom Adams)

A bizarre assault from Maradona, who in the same breath as slamming Van Gaal reveals the precise reason why he hasn't used Falcao. The striker appears not to have fully recovered from that savage knee injury over 12 months ago and is simply not the player he once was. Van Gaal's team is functioning better than ever with Wayne Rooney as a central striker so Maradona's criticism is well wide of the mark. Perhaps he said it to butter up his audience in Bogota.

- Source: Eurosport 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic: My four-match ban is a disgrace to football

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not at all impressed with the four-match ban he has received for a foul-mouthed rant and called it a “disgrace to football”.

The Paris Saint-Germain striker has even said that he would have preferred to have been banned for the rest of the season so he could have gone on his summer holiday earlier.

Ibrahimovic was caught on camera shouting about the referee and calling France a “s*** country” after his team lost to Bordeaux in March.

An apology from the Swede followed, but a ban for four of the final seven Ligue 1 games came regardless as the LFP handed him a suspension.

Ibrahimovic was backed by PSG, who called the ban “disproportionate” and the forward has now blasted the LFP in a statement on his official app.

"I was pleased as this proves what I have been saying," he wrote. "Now people can see for themselves, with their own eyes, instead of me just saying it.

"The whole situation has become a farce - it's 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. 

"There are no grounds for this ban. 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 not be able to feature in another Ligue 1 match until May 9 against Guingamp, but he will be allowed to play in the Coupe de la Ligue final against Bastia on Saturday.

- Sumber: Eurosport