“There’s a new king in town” – Lukaku makes bold statement after Milan derby strike
Romelu Lukaku has issued a tongue in cheek dig at former Manchester United teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic after he scored the final goal in Sunday’s dramatic Derby della Madonnina.
In one of the games of the season, Inter’s clash against arch-rivals AC Milan certainly lived up to its billing as Antonio Conte’s side fought back from two goals down to secure a famous 4-2 victory.
Lukaku’s cheeky dig: Five things to know…
- Lukaku scored a 93rd-minute goal to secure three points and a 4-2 victory for Inter over bitter neighbours AC Milan.
- After the match, Lukaku tweeted “There’s a new king in town”.
- The statement appears to be a subtle dig at Ibrahimovic, whose move back to the San Siro was mooted as the ‘return of the king‘.
- The moniker ‘King of Milan’ has previously been bestowed on Ibra thanks to his past exploits in the Italian city.
- Ibrahimovic and Lukaku formerly played alongside each other during their time at Man Utd.
The Rossoneri entered the break with a two-goal cushion thanks to finishes from Ante Rebic and Ibrahimovic no less, but Inter came out in the second half with the bit between their teeth and scored four to turn the game on its head.
Goals from Marcelo Brozovic, Matias Vecino and Stefan de Vrij sealed AC Milan’s fate, but Lukaku’s late finish put the gloss on an emphatic turnaround.
With Juventus dropping points against Verona the day prior, Inter now sit level with the current Scudetto holders at the top of Serie A, and Lukaku was quick to highlight his own influence on proceedings in Italian football.
On his official Twitter account, he declared: “There’s a new king in town”.
https://twitter.com/RomeluLukaku9/status/1226634009851068421?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1226634009851068421&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mirror.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Fnews%2Fromelu-lukaku-takes-aim-zlatan-21466318
Lukaku: We never give up
Since relocating to Inter from Man Utd last summer, Lukaku has netted an impressive 17 goals in the Italian top-flight, with only Cristiano Ronaldo (20) and Ciro Immobile (25) scoring more.
The Belgian has proven essential to Inter’s frontline, forming an impressive partnership with Lautaro Martinez, and he believes the club’s comeback over the weekend was indicative of the fighting mentality Conte has instilled in his players.
Lukaku told Sky Italia: “We did really well during the second half. They played well during the first half, as we left them too much space and we struggled.
February 9, 2020, Milano, Italia: Foto Massimo Paolone/LaPresse .9 febbraio 2020 Milano, Italia .sport calcio .Inter vs Milan – Campionato di calcio Serie A TIM 2019/2020 – stadio San Siro.Nella foto: Romelu Lukaku (FC Internazionale Milano) esulta dopo aver realizzato il gol 4-2..Photo Massimo Paolone/LaPresse .February 9, 2020 Milan, Italy .sport soccer .Inter vs Milan – Italian Football Championship League A TIM 2019/2020 – San Siro stadium.In the pic: Romelu Lukaku (FC Internazionale Milano) celebrates after scoring goal 4-2 (Credit Image: © Massimo Paolone/Lapresse via ZUMA Press)
“However, we came out well after the interval. We completed the comeback and we’re delighted with the win.
“I think that everyone has seen this team’s mentality, we never give up and we’re always looking to win.
“I’m here to win and my only aim is to help the team get results.
“I want to thank all of the fans, my team-mates, Mister [Antonio] Conte and all of his backroom staff for the support that they’re giving me.”
