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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
1MalmoMalmo30198367254265
2HammarbyHammarby30166848252354
3AIK FotbollAIK30173104641554
4Djurgardens IFDjurgarden30165945351053
5Mjallby AIF3014884435950
6GAISGAIS30146103634248
7ElfsborgElfsborg30136115244845
8HackenHacken30126125451342
9SiriusSirius30125134746141
10BrommapojkarnaBrommapojkarna30810124653-734
11IFK NorrkopingNorrkoping3097143657-2134
12Halmstads BKHalmstad30103173250-1833
13IFK GoteborgGoteborg30710133343-1031
14Varnamo30710133040-1031
15KalmarKalmar3086163858-2030
16Vasteras SKVasteras3065192643-1723


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