After the wave of jokes that mocked the new bust of footballer Cristiano Ronaldo at the airport on the Portuguese island of Madeira, the author of the work came out in defense of his creation.
WE RECOMMEND: Criticism of Cristiano Ronaldo's bust for its lack of resemblance.
"Cristiano liked it," said Emanuel Santos in statements to the radio station Rádio Renascença.
The bronze bust was unveiled yesterday in the presence of the player, in a ceremony held at the airport in the town of Santa Cruz near Funchal, the capital of the island where the Real Madrid forward was born just over 32 years ago.
From now on, the airport bears the name of the footballer. Four-time Ballon d'Or winner said he felt "happy and honored" by the homage paid to him by his homeland.
On social media, the controversial bust quickly became the target of jokes due to its questionable resemblance to the Portuguese star.
Santos revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo saw the sculpture during the creation process. "Cristiano had seen the photos his brother sent him. In Ronaldo's museum, his brother then showed me what Cristiano wrote, and I realized he liked it."
Cristiano Ronaldo, the sculptor added, "only asked for some wrinkles that give a certain expression to the face to be slightly altered."
"He opined that the wrinkles made him look older, so he asked for a smoother and more youthful face."
Santos did not comment on the criticism. "I haven't had time to sit down and read them yet. But the truth is that in any job, one can receive criticism. You can't please everyone. A sculpture is a sculpture, and a photocopy is a photocopy," he concluded.