Zlatan Ibrahimovic has defended Tottenham manager Antonio Conte.
The Italian is widely expected to leave Spurs before the end of the season after launching a scathing attack on the club following a costly 3-3 draw at Southampton just before the international break.
Standard Sport understands senior players at the club do not expect Conte to be in charge by the time they resume their Premier League campaign away at Everton.
The 53-year-old has spent the international break in Italy, with no date set on his return to work.
Sections of the Spurs fanbase have grown tired of Conte’s criticism of the club rather than focusing on the shortfalls in performance he and his side have put in this season.
Still, Ibrahimovic believes the former Chelsea and Inter Milan manager is simply being punished for being himself.
“Every single person works in his own way. Somebody tries to be an actor, pretend. Somebody is being himself, somebody is trying to be perfect,” he told Sky Sports.
“I believe in being yourself, and sometimes you pay for it because that’s not what the people want to hear.
“I prefer to be myself and express myself like I think and the way I want. We all work in our own way.”
