A day after investing in Stockholm-based football team Hammarby, Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s statue at the Malmo FF stadium was vandalised by club fans on Thursday.
The striker’s bronze statue was unveiled by the Swedish Football Association just a month ago but his decision to invest in rival club Hammarby did not go down well with Malmo supporters, who set his statue on fire – the club where Ibrahimovic started his professional career in 1999.
Apart from acquiring roughly a quarter of the shares in Hammarby on Wednesday, he had also bought 50% of American sporting and entertainment company Anschutz Entertainment Group’s stake in the Swedish team.
AEG also owns LA Galaxy where Ibrahimovic has played the last two MLS seasons, although he has confirmed he will leave when his contract runs out at the end of the year.
Ibrahimovic had already clarified he would not have a playing role for Hammarby despite his investment.
“For 10 years I’ve said I won’t return to Allsvenskan (Sweden’s top league). It’s not going to happen,” he told sports magazine Sportbladet.
“I had agreed with the team from Hammarby and AEG to get this thing as global as possible. We were to be seen all over the world. Not just in Sweden,” he said.
The club was originally founded in the late 19th century, although it only started a football club in 1915. It has only won the Swedish title once – in 2001.
The former Manchester United and PSG striker had earlier said that he didn’t anticipate any backlash from his hometown fans.
“I know they won’t be disappointed. What I have done for MFF will last for ever. This is completely different situation. It has nothing to do with where my career started,” he said.
(with AFP inputs)