An infamous bust of Cristiano Ronaldo mocked for its resemblance to former Sunderland striker Niall Quinn and The Head from Art Attack has been replaced by a new model.
On the same day that the Real Madrid forward made headlines with a stunning hat-trick to earn Portugal a 3-3 draw against Spain at the World Cup, officials at Madeira Airport installed an updated sculpture in place of one met with widespread ridicule when it debuted last year, reports SkyNews.
Critics on social media said the original looked more like Quinn than Ronaldo, who is as renowned for his well maintained image as he is for his goal-scoring exploits.
Among the harsher comments were those who compared the bust to The Head from Art Attack – the popular children’s television programme.
Local artist Emanuel Santos came to the defence of his creation, which took three weeks to make, claiming that it was “a matter of taste”.
But the ridicule has clearly proved too much to bear, with its replacement statue trading a goofy grin for the more po-faced look that Ronaldo – who was born and raised on Madeira – is known for.
Source: Punch
