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Malmo fans vandalise Zlatan Ibrahimovic statue after he buys stake in rival team

Malmo fans vandalise Zlatan Ibrahimovic statue after he buys stake in rival team
© Reuters
The Sweden legend has acquired nearly 25 per cent of Stockholm-based team Hammarby.

A statue of Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been put under police protection just weeks after its unveiling due to vandalism from fans of his boyhood club.

Malmo supporters lit fires at the base of the tribute, which is located outside the club’s stadium, after Ibrahimovic acquired nearly 25 per cent of Stockholm-based team Hammarby.

A blue plastic bag and a toilet seat hangs from the statue of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Malmo
A blue plastic bag and a toilet seat hang from the statue of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Malmo (Andreas Hillergren/TT via AP)

Ibrahimovic began his career with Malmo before making his name at clubs such as Ajax, Juventus, Barcelona and Paris St-Germain.

The 38-year-old forward, who played more than 100 times for Sweden, spoke at the unveiling of his statue on October 8, but those who once loved him reacted angrily to his Hammarby involvement.

Hammarby play their football in the Swedish Allsvenskan with Malmo, the two teams finishing third and second respectively in 2019, separated only by goal difference.

Someone walks past the word "Judas" written on the door of Swedish football player Zlatan Ibrahimovic's residence in Stockholm
Graffiti on the door of Ibrahimovic’s residence in Stockholm (Jessica Gow/TT News Agency via AP)

Ibrahimovic’s property in Stockholm was also attacked, with graffiti on the door and fermented herring reportedly poured in the doorway.

Upon his involvement with Hammarby, the former Manchester United striker said “I think they in Malmo respect this… I think they are happy for my sake”.

He was wrong. “It’s ridiculous. He’s deluded,” Kaveh Hosseinpour, vice-chairman of Malmo’s official supporters’ group, told Aftonbladet. “He lives in another reality if he believes that.

“I don’t think they’re (Hammarby fans) happy either. Should we see him there it will only be motivation to sing extra loud when we play there so we can show him he was totally wrong in his choice of which club he wants to make the biggest in Scandinavia.

“(Malmo) is the biggest right now and will remain so, no matter what Zlatan does in Hammarby.”

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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1MalmoMalmo29188365244162
2HammarbyHammarby29166748242454
3AIK FotbollAIK29163104140151
4Djurgardens IFDjurgarden2915594234850
5Mjallby AIF2913884335847
6GAISGAIS29136103433145
7ElfsborgElfsborg29135115244844
8HackenHacken29126115450442
9SiriusSirius29125124644241
10BrommapojkarnaBrommapojkarna29810114551-634
11IFK NorrkopingNorrkoping2997133554-1934
12Halmstads BKHalmstad29103163145-1433
13IFK GoteborgGoteborg29710123342-931
14Varnamo2979133040-1030
15KalmarKalmar2976163758-2127
16Vasteras SKVasteras2955192543-1820


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