The sculptor who made a bronze bust of Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted that his creation may not be to everybody's taste but insists that the Real Madrid forward had given his seal of approval to it.
Emanuel Santos, a Madeiran artist, was chosen to recreate the image of the four-time FIFA player of the year in the form of the statue, which will be displayed at the Aeroporto Cristiano Ronaldo in Funchal.
However, the finished product has come under criticism by many football fans after it was unveiled on the island, many of whom do not believe that it resembles Ronaldo.
In reply, Santos told The Guardian: "It is impossible to please the Greeks and Trojans. Neither did Jesus please everyone. This is a matter of taste, so it is not as simple as it seems. What matters is the impact that this work generated.
"There is always the possibility of making a difference, I was prepared for all this. I used as a base some photos of Cristiano Ronaldo that I found on the internet, nothing specific. I put the photos next to me and started working on the bust."
"Cristiano saw the photos that his brother sent him. I was with the brother at Cristiano's museum in Madeira and from the messages he sent, I could tell that he liked what he saw.
"He only asked for some wrinkles that give him a certain expression in his face when he's about to laugh to be changed. He said it made him look older and asked for it to be thinned out a bit to make it smoother and more jovial. But they gave it the go-ahead; they liked what they saw."
Ronaldo was born in Funchal and played for local clubs Andorinha and Nacional before moving to mainland Portugal at Sporting Lisbon.
Giuseppe Labellarte
