The Athletic calls for ‘less Zlatan, less Lalas’ on Fox

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, senior advisor to AC Milan’s owners RedBird, has drawn criticism after joining Fox Sports as a pundit for the 2026 World Cup, with The Athletic branding the on‑screen pairing with former US defender Alexi Lalas as ‘less Zlatan, less Lalas’. The critique arrives while AC Milan still lack a head coach, sporting director and CEO. Ibrahimovic serves as senior advisor to RedBird, the investment firm that owns AC Milan, but he is not directly employed by the club, leading to frequent confusion about his authority within the Rossoneri hierarchy. His advisory role has historically been limited to strategic input rather than day‑to‑day management. Fox Sports announced that Ibrahimovic will join its punditry team for the 2026 World Cup, a move that raised eyebrows given AC Milan’s recent coaching vacuum. Ruben Amorim was appointed head coach only on Tuesday, ending weeks without a permanent manager. Beyond the head‑coach vacancy, AC Milan also remain without a sporting director, technical director or chief executive less than two weeks before the summer transfer window formally opens. The organisational gaps have intensified scrutiny of any external engagements by club advisors.

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The Athletic published an article describing the on‑screen chemistry between Ibrahimovic and former USMNT defender Alexi Lalas as ‘awkward’, and suggested Fox’s flagship football show would be better with ‘less Zlatan, less Lalas’. The piece highlighted the contrast between Ibrahimovic’s flamboyant style and Lalas’s punditry approach. The Athletic accused Ibrahimovic of lacking basic knowledge, noting he had never heard of Canada’s head coach Jesse Marsch while analysing a Canada match for a US audience. The omission was presented as evidence of his limited preparation for international analysis.

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The publication also compared Ibrahimovic’s over‑confidence shtick unfavourably with Thierry Henry’s more palatable presence, urging Fox to lean on Ibrahimovic’s goal‑scoring insight while reducing Lalas’s on‑air time. It argued that a tighter focus on Ibrahimovic’s expertise would improve the broadcast’s credibility. A photo taken in Riyadh on 3 January 2025 shows Ibrahimovic, senior advisor of AC Milan, observing the Italian Super Cup semi‑final between AC Milan and Juventus at Al Awwal Park. The image underscores his visible association with the club despite his advisory status.