Zlatan statue will remain in Malmo

– The statue of Swedish superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic will remain in his birthplace of Malmo despite it being repeatedly vandalised, the city’s mayor has said.

Some fans had petitioned the authorities to relocate the statue to Stockholm while a separate citizens’ initiative demanded it be maintained elsewhere in Malmo.

“The statue remains in Malmo and a group within the city’s organisation will now study where it can be installed,” Anders Malmstrom, a spokesperson for the local municipality, said.

The statue has been the target of numerous attacks since the player invested in Stockholm-based Hammarby, angering supporters of Malmo FF, where he began his professional career. In November Ibrahimovic filed a “hate crime” complaint. –

Stockholm