A statue of the former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo in the footballer’s home island of Madeira has been set on fire in an apparent online stunt
Police are hunting a vandal who set light to a Cristiano Ronaldo statue on the footballer’s home island of Madeira and posted footage of the bizarre stunt online.
The dishevelled-looking youngster filmed himself poured a flammable liquid over the bronze replica of the former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker before putting a lighter to it. And as the flames took hold of the sculpture, and almost set light to the top he was wearing before he backed away from danger, he went on to perform a crazy dance to rap music blaring out on a speaker he had brought along for the occasion.
He posted the outlandish video, taken this morning by the CR7 Museum in the Madeiran capital Funchal which celebrates Ronaldo’s career, to his 1,000 followers on his Instagram site where he identifies himself with the username zaino.tcc.filipe and describes himself as a “person, freestyler and local man.”
And he published an even stranger message alongside the footage of his stunt, writing: “This is God’s last warning.”
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It was not immediately clear if the statue, moved from elsewhere on the island in March 2016 after it was vandalised by Messi fans, had suffered any permanent damage. Although initially the flames took hold of the entire statue, they quickly died down.
Critics including Ronaldo fans were last night venting their fury on his Instagram as police said they had already identified the fire starter but were yet to track down him down. One said: “Do you think it’s good what you’ve done! I think what you did was unnecessary and all for likes.”
Another wrote: “I usually really like your energy, but this time it seems a bit redundant… I unfollowed you! Using God’s name in this kind of action, I just hope there won’t be any retaliation from him.”
A third, resuming the feelings of many watching the bizarre scenes unfold including the part at the end where the vandal thrust his groin towards the Ronaldo statue before sticking his middle finger up at it, added: “He needs help.”
Ronaldo, who now plays for the Saudi Pro league club Al-Nassr, returned to Madeira to pose in front of the bronze effigy with his family by his side for the end of the unveiling at the end of 2014. He said at the time: “This is a very special moment, to have a statue of me.”
A CR7 Museum spokesman said earlier today the matter was being handled by police, adding: “We have nothing further to add at this stage.”
A source from the PSP police force in Funchal told local press: “The author of this crime has been identified. He is known here because of similar earlier situations.”
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