PSG’s Ibrahimovic sends sympathies to Paris victims

By Philip O’Connor

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Sweden captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic has expressed his sympathies for his fellow Parisians after gun and bomb attacks in the French capital on Friday left 129 killed, hundreds injured and the city traumatised.

“It’s sad, tragic. Things like that shouldn’t happen,” the Paris Saint Germain player told broadcaster Kanal 5 after Sweden beat Denmark 2-1 in the first leg of their Euro 2016 playoff. “I stand behind those who have passed on and the families there.

“I tried hard to focus on the game, which was very hard,” added the 34-year-old, who is in his fourth season at PSG, having moved to the French capital in July 2012 from AC Milan.

The Friends Arena in Stockholm was lit up in the red, white and blue national colours of France, with a minute’s silence observed before play while the players also wore black armbands.

Sweden coach Erik Hamren said the attacks in the French capital had affected his side’s preparations.

“The terrible and despicable has happened,” Hamren told reporters.

“We had a chat when we assembled and we must show that evil cannot be allowed to win, that football is important on days such as this.”

(Editing by Greg Stutchbury)