This archive report was first published on 4 June 2020.
Published on June 4, 2020, a statue of Swedish football legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic in his birthplace of Malmo has been the target of repeated vandalism.
The city's mayor has decided to keep the statue in Malmo despite the attacks, which have included the statue being collapsed against a barrier and its feet being partially chopped off.
The vandalism is believed to be in response to Ibrahimovic's investment in Stockholm-based Hammarby, a move that angered supporters of Malmo FF, the club where he began his professional career.
In November, Ibrahimovic filed a 'hate crime' complaint after the statue was attacked with fire and paint, and the word 'Judas' was daubed across the front door of his Stockholm home.
Meanwhile, Ibrahimovic is currently out of action with a calf injury, which he sustained in training with AC Milan last month.
