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 his 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 on Tuesday morning by the CR7 Museum in the Madeiran capital Funchal which celebrates Cristiano’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.’
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.
An online vandal has posted a video on social media of himself vandalising a statue of Cristiano Ronaldo in Madeira
The man doused the statue in a flammable liquid before watching it become engulfed in flames
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.’
The statute, famous for its large bulge in the trouser department, was moved to its current spot by the CR7 Museum nearly a decade ago after the attack on it by Messi fans.
He then performed a bizarre dance in a move that left his followers widely confused
The statue was unveiled in his hometown of Funchal on the island in December 2014
Cristiano, now playing for 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.’
The statue, part of Ronaldo’s personal museum on the island, immediately raised eyebrows because it was so well-endowed.
Others claimed at the time the 11ft statue bore little resemblance to him.
One Twitter user commented after the unveiling ceremony: ‘So Cristiano Ronaldo had a statue made for him that looks nothing like him and has a massive metal bulge.’
Another joked: ‘Maybe it’s there for the ladies who can’t get the real thing – something to rub for good luck.’
The vandals who targeted it in 2016 painted Messi’s name and a number 10 on the statue as the then-Barcelona striker pipped Ronaldo to claim an historic fifth Ballon d’Or.
Ronaldo’s sister Katia Aveiro took to Facebook after the attack to say she was ‘ashamed’ at what had happened and claiming the ‘savages’ who vandalised the effigy deserved to be sent to Syria.
She raged: ‘I find the act in itself a dishonour but what I find more shameful is the envy that surrounds him and the rage that some unloved and frustrated fatheads display in public in a disgraceful way which leaves me as a Portuguese person ashamed and sad.
‘The people that are responsible for this and other negative things directed towards this person should know that our island was recently voted the world’s leading island destination not just for the beautiful sea that surrounds us or for our marvellous gastronomy or even the warm Madeiran welcome.
‘It was in part thanks to this great Madeiran figure that honours his origins.’
‘Sadly my beautiful island is still inhabited by some frustrated savages who should live in Syria amidst people who don’t respect each other and who don’t know how to live together.
‘Please forgive me those who are suffering because of war but I think people are badly distributed.
‘There are still envious people on this planet who can’t accept the success of others, mediocre people who don’t do our world any good.’
Ronaldo was previously honoured with a notorious statue at Madeira Airport – which was later replaced
The Portuguese superstar is currently plying his trade at Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr
A CR7 Museum spokesman said earlier on Tuesday 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.’
The statute vandalised this morning is a different one to a bust of Cristiano Ronaldo at the island airport by Spanish airport Carlos Garcia.
It replaced an infamous bronze statue previously on show there by local artist Emanuel Santos.
The earlier work of art was mocked around the world after it was unveiled in March 2017, with critics accusing Santos of drinking too much Madeiran wine before making the bust.
Others likened it to former Irish international Niall Quinn.
