Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s legacy at Malmo, the Swedish soccer team where he started his illustrious career, looks to be in tatters after he bought a stake of nearly 25 per cent in one of its biggest rivals.

Sweden’s biggest sports star outlined his desire to make Hammarby the “best in Scandinavia” after becoming a part-owner of the Stockholm-based club in his first move into soccer ownership.

“There are no limits to how big Hammarby can be,” Ibrahimovic told Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet in its Wednesday edition after the deal was announced.

His decision to invest in Hammarby has gone down badly at Malmo, where a golden statue of Ibrahimovic was unveiled outside its stadium last month.

A toilet seat was placed around one of Ibrahimovic’s arms on the statue early on Wednesday, a plastic bag put over his face and his name was covered up, leading to the monument requiring police protection during the afternoon into the evening.

Some angry Malmo supporters reacted by lighting fires at the base of a golden statue of the 38-year-old striker.