Zlatan Ibrahimovic statue vandalised for second time as star looks for new club

The effigy has been defaced previously and the striker's cast iron tribute lost his nose in the latest attack which happened on Saturday night

Posted Tuesday, December 24, 2019 by Dailystar.co.uk

The statue has been repeatedly attacked

The statue of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Malmo has hasd its nose removed in the latest in a string of attacks by vandals who are angry at the striker's decision to buy shares in rival Swedish club Hammarby.

Former Sweden striker Ibrahimovic, 38, made his professional debut for Malmo 20 years ago.

He scored 18 goals in 47 games for the club before moving to Dutch giants Ajax where his career took off.

The former Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris St-Germain and Manchester United player is now looking for his next club having left LA Galaxy at the end of the MLS season.

On 27 November it was announced he had bought 25 per cent of the shares in Hammarby, who finished third in this year's Swedish championship.

That same day, the 3.5 metre high bronze structure, commissioned by the Swedish FA and unveiled on 9 October, was sprayed with paint, set on fire and a toilet seat put over its arm.

Ibrahimovic has not commented on the vandalism

Vandals also tried to saw through the feet of a statue of Ibrahimovic and placed a rope around its neck.

In the latest attack its nose was removed and was also splattered with silver paint.

Malmo police spokesperson Eva-Gun Westford told BBC Sport an investigation had been opened and police would be looking at CCTV to identify the culprits.

"Someone tried to saw the feet," she said. "There is a risk now it could fall and we have placed a fence around it."

The statue's artist Peter Linde has appealed for people to stop the vandalism.

He told Sportbladet: "People act like they're at war, but this isn't war, it's about football. It is so insane that one cannot respect that Zlatan is a free man.

"I want the statue to be repaired and restored and for those who are doing this to realise how stupid they are."