It had been announced earlier in the day that 38-year-old Ibrahimovic, Sweden’s record international goalscorer with 62 in 116 games, had acquired almost 25% of the shares in Hammarby, who came third in this year’s Swedish league championship.

Announcing the deal, Ibrahimovic said he intended to make Hammarby the biggest club in Scandinavia, angering many of his former fans at Malmo FF, where he first made his name before a trophy-laden career in Netherlands, Italy, Spain, England, France and the US.

The 3.5m tall statue, which weighs approximately 500kg and was unveiled on Oct 8 with Ibrahimovic present, was scorched with flares while racist messages had been sprayed on the ground nearby, local media reported.

“Several people are said to have vandalised the statue and sprayed it with paint,” police spokesman Jimmy Morin told state broadcaster SVC, adding that an investigation into the vandalism had been opened.