Zlatan statue SET ON FIRE by furious Malmo ultras as home is also vandalized after decision to buy stake in rivals (VIDEO)

After first being defaced with toilet seat the statue dedicated to Swedish football icon Zlatan Ibrahimovic was further vandalized by Malmo ultras as they attempted to set fire to it.

Zlatan enraged fans of his boyhood club when it was announced earlier this week that he had become a significant shareholder of Swedish rival top-flight club Hammarby.

Furious Malmo fans have taken their anger at the 38-year-old out on the bronze statue in his honor recently unveiled outside the club’s stadium.

One fan hung a toilet seat over the likeness to the big striker, branding him a “piece of shit,” but that followed by even more disturbing scenes when a masked gang of ultras attempted to set fire to the statue with flares.

The statue also had a term translating as “gypsy” sprayed in front of it, in an apparent insult to his immigrant roots.

Disturbingly, images also showed the word 'Judas' sprayed on the door of Zlatan’s Stockholm home.

The Swedish legend posed earlier this week with a Hammarby shirt after buying around a 25 percent stake in the club from the Anschutz Entertainment Group, which is also the main investor in Zlatan’s former team, LA Galaxy.

The giant Swede left the US this summer after two seasons in MLS, and despite approaching 40 he is still aiming for a swansong in Europe before calling time on his storied career.

He had dismissed any potential backlash from Malmo fans over the decision, saying: "What I have done for Malmo will be there forever. This is a completely different situation. It has nothing to do with where my career began."

He will likely have to steer clear of Malmo for the time being at least, however.