Ibrahimovic unveils statue of himself

MALMO, Sweden: Zlatan Ibrahimovic unveiled a bronze statue of himself on Tuesday near the stadium where he launched his professional career in his hometown of Malmo.

“No matter where you come from, where you are, no matter what you look like, the statue is the symbol that anything is possible,” said Sweden’s best-known footballer, visibly moved to see himself permanently represented “wh­ere it all began”.

Ibrahimovic, who had a stint with Paris Saint-Germain, already has an effigy at the Grevin wax museum in the French capital.

He had been waiting for his statue in Sweden for five years. The work, created by Swedish sculptor Peter Linde, is impressive. Ibrahimovic stands 1.95m (6ft 5in) tall. The sculpture is 2.7 metres high and weighs 500kg.