"He's a piece of s**t": fan explains reasons for Zlatan statue toilet-seat halo
Outrage has intensified among Malmo fans after Zlatan Ibrahimovic became co-owner of rival club Hammarby, prompting some to defile and set fire to his statue.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has gone from hero to hated figure very quickly at his hometown club of Malmo, where he had come through the ranks to the first team before joining Ajax in 2001.
Following his departure from LA Galaxy in October, the former Juventus, Inter, Barcelona and Manchester United striker decided to buy a 50-percent stake in Malmo’s rival Allsvenskan club Hammarby.
His move to become co-owner of Hammarby comes just weeks after a statue was erected of the former Sweden international outside Malmo’s stadium, where Ibrahimovic had attended the unveiling surrounded by hundreds of adoring fans.
But those same fans have now turned on the club legend, with the deputy chairman of Malmo's supporters' group stating that Zlatan “has burned all his bridges" with the club.
Zlatan statue vandalized
As outrage has intensified in Malmo over the 38-year-old forward’s "betrayal", it was only a matter of time until fans took their anger out on the commemorative statue.
And one fan, identified as Karl on Swedish TV, went to the trouble of scaling the bronze structure to place a toilet seat on Zlatan’s head.
Asked by a Swedish TV reporter why he had decided to place the toilet seat on the statue, Karl replied: “I think he's a piece of shit, if I'm really honest.”
“Lately he has said some idiotic things, which I think are totally insane. Despite that, he has been defended,” added the angry Malmo fan.
“And now he responds by going to Hammarby. And that I see as a real betrayal. You should never forget where you come from, he usually says. He obviously did. I think it’s a terrible betrayal.
Zlatan's statue was later defiled with white spray paint, before being set on fire during Wednesday night.