Police are in pursuit of a culprit who ignited a Cristiano Ronaldo statue on the footballer’s native island of Madeira and shared a video of the peculiar act online. The unkempt individual recorded himself pouring a flammable substance on the bronze likeness of the former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker before setting it ablaze. As the fire engulfed the sculpture, almost catching the top he was wearing, he retreated from the danger and proceeded to dance erratically to rap music playing from a speaker he had brought along.
The vandal, identified as zaino.tcc.filipe on Instagram, with around 1,000 followers, posted the outrageous video captured this morning near the CR7 Museum in Funchal. Alongside the footage, he wrote a bizarre message stating, “This is God’s last warning.”
It remains uncertain if the statue, relocated to Madeira in 2016 after being vandalized by Messi fans, sustained any lasting damage from the incident. Despite initially being engulfed in flames, the fire quickly subsided.
Ronaldo, now playing for Saudi Pro league club Al-Nassr, had posed with his family beside the bronze effigy during its unveiling in 2014, expressing, “This is a very special moment to have a statue of me.”
A spokesperson from the CR7 Museum indicated that the authorities are handling the matter, with the police confirming the identification of the perpetrator, known for prior similar incidents in the area.
Critics, including Ronaldo supporters, expressed their dismay on Instagram, condemning the act as unnecessary and disrespectful. One commenter stated, “Do you think it’s good what you’ve done? I think what you did was unnecessary and all for likes.”
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