PHOTO: Bildbyrån
He created the monument of Zlatan Ibrahimovic that sparked hatred.
Now Peter Linde directs harsh criticism against the new decision about the statue.
– The statue is not about football, the sculptor admits to Mitt i Stockholm.
It was during the years 2017-2019 as the sculptor Peter Linde was commissioned by the Swedish Football Association to create a statue of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. On three different occasions, Zlatan came in his own tall person to his studio in Saltsjöbaden, Stockholm, to be photographed.
Zlatan’s statue
The plan from the beginning was to place the huge bronze monument outside the Friends arena, the home ground of the Swedish national team, in Solna, but the AIK supporters protested openly. Instead, the statue of Sweden’s most successful footballer of all time was sent down to his hometown of Malmö.
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In 2019, it was inaugurated outside Malmö FF’s home arena with “Ibra” in place and the monument was received with joy and cheers. But just a few months later, something happened that would have devastating consequences.
READ MORE: Strong confession about Zlatan after the big criticism: “When someone hates Zlatan, they hate me”
Not paid
Zlatan bought himself into Allsvenskan rival Hammarby and the Malmö residents saw it as such a big betrayal that their anger spilled over the statue on Stadiontorget. The monument was vandalized several times and finally fell over, the completely destroyed statue was removed and has since been repaired in an unknown location.
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The city of Malmö then invested SEK 350,000 to save the statue in the hope of getting it back in place. During the winter, the sculptor Peter Linde has been in Malmö to help with the renovation – and has not received a penny for it.
– Those who welded have been paid, but I haven’t received a penny and didn’t want anything either. I was most eager to get it put together. I didn’t want to delay it with them thinking about what I should have paid, he says in an interview with the local newspaper Mitt in Stockholm.
Clear criticism
The statue of Zlatan has been restored again but after a new decision, Malmö has chosen not to place it again due to concerns that it will be destroyed again. Instead, the monument is hidden and the question is whether it will ever see sunlight again, much to Linde’s disappointment and dejection.
– The statue is not about football. It is about a slice of life – it should portray a sense of life. If they pick it up in 1,000 years, no one will know which team he played in, but it should feel just as current, he says in the interview.
– I hope they bring it out sooner or later. Whether it will be in 1,000 years, 3 years or 30 years, we’ll see.
READ MORE: The giant turnaround for Zlatan Ibrahimovic – here is the new future statement after the canceled meeting with Milan
The statue’s creator, Peter Linde, has been openly Christian about the handling of the statue and prefers that it be sent to Milan instead. Where the monument of Ibrahimovic can get the appreciation it deserves.
But all the hate and the great turmoil that the Zlatan statue has had to endure will still not deter Linde from making more depictions of people that evoke strong reactions.
– I don’t think so. I depict a piece of life in existence. Which person it happens to be is purely coincidental. I take whatever apples are closest to hand and make the most of it. Maybe it will be a very good applesauce, he says to the local newspaper.
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