Zlatan’s statue was vandalized and hidden away.
Now comes an announcement about where it will stand in the next few years.
– Basically, I feel sad that it has turned out this way, says municipal councilor Janne Grönholm (MP).
It was in 2019 that the mighty statue of Zlatan Ibrahimovic was unveiled. It was a day of celebration, and the protagonist himself was there to participate in the historic day, together with supporters in Malmö. But the statue was not allowed to stand untouched for very long.
The message about the statue
When Zlatan Ibrahimovic chose to become one of the co-owners of Malmö FF’s rival Hammarby, Malmö residents reacted with anger. Racist messages were written on the statue, while it was vandalized in the worst way. A foot was sawn off, the nose as well, and a toilet seat was hung around the neck. The statue had to be hidden, and now it has been repaired.
In total, repairs have been made for over SEK 300,000, and at the same time there has been a lot of talk about where the statue can stand, and how future vandalism can be avoided.
– Basically, I feel a sadness that it has turned out this way. The story of the Malmö guy who became one of the world’s best soccer players, which the statue was supposed to symbolize, has ended up in the dark. But that doesn’t have to mean that we can’t land in a good way in the future, says municipal councilor Janne Grönholm (MP) to Sydsvenskan.
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Kept secret
However, Janne Grönholm is open that the statue will not be presented yet. And not for many years either. It will instead be kept in a secret warehouse, behind alarms and locked doors.
– It is not relevant to put up the statue for several years, says Grönholm to Radiosporten.
When Zlatan Ibrahimovic was asked about the statue during the last national team meeting, he said that the statue should be in Malmö, or not at all.
– It should be in Malmö, nowhere else. That’s what they get to see from me so it’s only good that it’s there, he said.
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