Cristiano Ronaldo’s sister has expressed her anger after a statue of the Real Madrid forward in his home town of Madeira was vandalised.
The perpetrators daubed graffiti on the statue bearing Leo Messi’s name and number on Tuesday. The Argentinean international had beaten Ronaldo to the Ballon d’Or award just 24 hours earlier at a ceremony in Zurich.
The momument in Madeira was erected in December 2014, shortly after a museum was opened on the island dedicated to Ronaldo’s incredible professional career as a footballer.
Katia Aveiro took to Twitter to post a lengthy statement expressing her anger, claiming the vandals would be better off in war-torn Syria.
“I find the act in itself a disgrace but what I find more shameful is the envy that surrounds him and the anger that some unloved and frustrated pig-headed people display in public in a disgraceful way which leaves me embarrassed and sad as a Portuguese person,” she wrote.
The statement continued: “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, nor for the marvellous gastronomy we also have nor the warm Madeiran welcome.
“It was in part thanks to this great Madeiran figure that honours his origins and from time to time emphasises it in public. Most of us should thank and salute to this man, it’s thanks to him that a lot of Madeirenses still have their jobs.
“My beautiful island, regrettably, is still inhabited by some frustrated savages who deserve to live in Syria, between people that show no respect and hold no value for life in society. I apologise for the ones who live the sadness of war, but I believe some people don’t belong on the land they live in.”
