AN eyesore 10ft statue of Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has been stolen.
The effigy — sculpted in full match kit from a tree trunk weighing nearly a ton — was nicked after complaints it looked nothing like the 22-year-old star.
It had pride of place 50ft above a store in his home town of Bryne, Norway.
But a thief — suspected to be a disgruntled fan — used a crane to grab it at night.
Businessman Tore Sivertsen spent £10,000 commissioning the statue saluting City’s £85.5million signing. Even he conceded it was ugly.
It was hoisted into place two weeks ago and Mr Sivertsen planned to auction it to help fund a hospital in Tanzania until it suddenly vanished early on Wednesday.
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Haaland, 22, arrived at City in the summer after scoring 86 goals in 89 matches for Borussia Dortmund.
He has netted a goal in each of three Premier League matches this season.
Tractor dealership boss Mr Sivertsen told The Sun: “We are all enormously proud of Erling.
“I thought it would be good to commission a statue to pay tribute.
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“Some have complained it’s too ugly though, let’s face it, Erling is not a pretty guy. But I was still shocked that someone decided to steal it.”
Mr Sivertsen commissioned renowned wood sculptor Kjetil Barane, who took a year to craft it from a 100-year-old log.
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The businessman said: “I accept it may not be to everyone’s taste, but I like it.
“It’s a work of art rather than a realistic representation of Erling Haaland.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
