Ronaldo's three goals against Spain were made sweeter by a brand new bronze bust
Remember the widely ridiculed bronze statue of renown football player Cristiano Ronaldo that was unveiled at the Madeira Airport in Portugal? It has been replaced.
Ronaldo is probably one of the most famous athletes out there, and whether you watch football or not, chances are you know him. Of course, his hometown Madeira Islands is extremely proud of all his success. So proud that they decided to rename the local airport after him last year and honor him with a bronze statue.
Artist Emanuel Santos, who created the bust, apparently spent three weeks on it.
Unfortunately, fans were more amused than awe-struck after they saw the bust of the footballer. Pictures of the statue crowded social media but for all the wrong reasons.
Many thought it looked more like the ‘Art Attack’ head from the BBC television show rather than the footballer. Some thought it resembled the former Arsenal and Manchester City forward Niall Quinn. The statue became fodder for several memes and jokes on social media.
In response to all the ridicule at the time of the unveiling last year, Santos said: “This is a matter of taste, so it is not as simple as it seems. What matters is the impact that this work generated.”
It looks like the airport did not want to be the center of memes anymore and so decided to replace the smiling bronze bust of Ronaldo.
The bust was replaced on Friday—the same day Ronaldo scored a hattrick in the 2018 FIFA World Cup against Spain. Though the game ended in a 3-3 tie, Ronaldo’s achievements were the highlight of the game. After his legendary performance, he became the first player to score in 8 consecutive major tournaments. So, he had two things to celebrate at the end of the day: three goals and a new bronze bust.
The new bronze statue is a more accurate representation of what the footballer actually looks like. Despite displaying a greater degree of artistry, the new bust has not been received with unanimous appreciation. It seems to have some opposers as well.
Though the original statue was ridiculed heavily when it was first revealed, it turns out it had several fans too. The fans have voiced their opinion and are demanding the return of the old bust—the location of the original bust is currently unknown.
There is even a petition titled “Petition for the immediate return of Cristiano Ronaldo's bust to Madeira airport” going around on peticaopublica.com. It has already been signed by 300 people. Some fans are going to the extent of saying that substituting the statue was totally unacceptable.
