The tension between Fox’s World Cup analysts ramped up again on Tuesday when the network handed Zlatan Ibrahimovic an ‘Employee of the Month’ award.
The divide between Alexi Lalas and his European TV colleagues has become as unmissable as some of the action on the field but the former USA player is starting to fight back against Ibrahimovic and Frenchman Thierry Henry.
Lalas and Henry, and particularly the former Sweden striker Ibrahimovic, have repeatedly clashed throughout the early days of the broadcaster’s coverage.
Henry and Ibrahimovic have mocked Lalas when they’re together on the panel, often referring to their own careers being more prestigious than his and dismissing some of his takes on the games so far.
When Lalas was moved out of the studio to Seattle for the second United States World Cup game, Ibrahimovic said live on air: ‘You’re welcome, America.’
And Zlatan is clearly impressing his bosses at Fox after anchor Rebecca Lowe handed him a mock ‘Employee of the Month’ award for his contributions after nearly two weeks in his role.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was handed a mock ‘Employee of the Month’ award by Fox on Tuesday
Zlatan showed Lalas the award so he could ‘feel it’ because ‘I think you never got this’
It comes after two weeks of simmering tensions between Lalas and his European co-stars
He graciously accepted, while stood alongside Henry and Lalas before turning to the American to show him the award so he could ‘feel it’ because ‘I think you never got this’.
‘I just want to thank you,’ the Swede continued. ‘This was a team effort and I’m very proud and happy and this is only after one week, imagine after a couple. Oh my god.
‘Alexi, you like it?’ he then asked, to which the American replied: ‘I’ve never seen one before. This is incredible.’
It came after Lalas finally landed a blow on his colleagues during Sunday’s round of World Cup games.
Ibrahimovic started it off and made a playful dig about host presenter Rebecca Lowe’s outfit for the day in relation to Lalas, saying: ‘Rebecca, you look like you dressed for a funeral. Alexi is alive, don’t worry.’
Lowe laughed awkwardly with Henry, before Lalas stepped in to try and put Ibrahimovic back in his place.
‘You look like you should be welcoming people to Fantasy Island,’ Lalas said in a dig about the Swede’s cream suit, patting him on the back in the process.
The joke might have been lost on Ibrahimovic – perhaps Lalas’s intention – but Fantasy Island was a television drama in the 70s and 80s where wealthy guests visited a resort that allowed them to live out their fantasies.
The host of the island and his sidekick both wore white suits throughout the show.
Lalas recently trolled Ibrahimovic’s white suit on their latest Fox World Cup appearance
Lalas has joined Ibrahimovic and Henry as an analyst on Fox for the tournament in the US
Lalas, 56, even won some credit with some of the viewers, despite many finding him as hard work as Henry and Ibrahimovic seem to until now.
‘Lalas finally got one back on the scoreboard. He nailed that,’ one fan wrote about the viral clip.
Another said: ‘Alexi nailed it with Fantasy Island, but unfortunately Zlatan probably had never seen the show.’
A different viewer commented: ‘Whoever brought these commentators together to roast one another on air is brilliant. Give that person a raise.’
Lalas had also joked about having to ‘carry the show’ when Lowe reintroduced him to the panel after his trip to Seattle, getting a laugh from Henry and Ibrahimovic as he bigged himself up.
The World Cup continues on Wednesday when the final round of group stage games gets underway. The final two matches in each group will kick off simultaneously to ensure they conclude at the same time.
Switzerland play Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina take on Qatar in Group B at 3pm ET before Group C concludes with Morocco against Haiti and Scotland vs Brazil at 8pm ET.
