The statue of famous Swedish footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic that was originally installed in his home city of Malmo is expected to be restored soon, after being taken down about two and half year ago due to vandalism, Sveriges Television reports citing Sydsvenskan.
Inaugurated with pomp three years ago, the statue got repeatedly vandalized after fans of local football club Malmo FF, which Ibrahimovic was part of at some point, became unhappy with him investing in another club.
Due to the extent of vandalism, the city authorities decided to take down the statue for renovation, and the sculpture has since been stored at a secret location, the media outlet notes.
Now, the city authorities have reportedly set aside enough funds for the restoration process, which is expected to be completed in the coming weeks.
“I think we should be done with the renovation before the turn of the year. We will also prepare the statue for an alarm installation,” said Micael Nord, Director for Business and External Relations at the City of Malmo.
The media outlet also points out that it is unclear whether the statue will be put in the same place it originally occupied, though its creator Peter Linde suggested sending it to Milan, likely referring to the fact that Ibrahimovic currently plays for AC Milan.
“I think it should be sent to Milan, but the city of Malmo apparently doesn't think so,” he said. “I understand that they don't even want the statue to be sent to Stockholm for repairs, because they are afraid that it will remain in Stockholm then.”