A statue of Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has been stolen after he was criticized for not looking like the Norway international.
The statue, which was erected in Erling Haaland’s hometown of Brian, Norway, was carved from the trunk of a tree, 3 meters tall and weighing a ton.
And according to the British newspaper, The Sun, it is believed that a thief who did not like the statue decided to get rid of it, especially as it sparked criticism for not resembling the Manchester City striker.
Businessman Tore Sivertzen spent £10,000 to make the statue, which was erected in honor of the Norwegian star.
Seifertsen had been planning to auction the statue with the proceeds to fund a hospital in Tanzania, but it suddenly disappeared early Wednesday.
Commenting on the theft of the statue, Sivertzen said: “We are proud of Haaland. I thought of honoring the player with this statue.”
Seifertsen added: “A lot of people have complained that the statue is ugly compared to a beautiful player like Haaland. I am shocked that it was stolen. It is true that he was not admired by many, but it is a work of art and not a realistic embodiment of Haaland.”
Seifertsen commissioned famous wood sculptor Keitel Barren to create the statue, which took a year to design, knowing that it was made from the trunk of a 100-year-old tree.
Haaland, the son of former Manchester City player Alf Ing, is considered one of the best strikers in Europe, and he signed with City after he proved his superior ability to score goals during his time with Norway’s Molde FK, Austrian Red Bull Salzburg and Germany’s Borussia Dortmund.
Haaland, who has 20 caps for Norway, scored 86 goals in 89 games in two and a half seasons with Dortmund, and won the German Cup with the team, and was also crowned the best player in the German League during the 2020/21 season.