On his native island of Madeira, where the famous footballer Cristiano Ronaldo grew up, a shocking act of vandalism occurred. An unknown individual set fire to the bronze statue of the athlete and recorded his act on video, which he later posted on social media.
This incident happened on Tuesday morning near the CR7 museum, located in the island's capital, Funchal. The footage shows a young man pouring a flammable liquid on the statue and igniting it with a lighter. At the moment the flames engulfed the sculpture, the perpetrator narrowly escaped injury and then began dancing to rap music coming from a portable speaker.
The recording was published on Instagram on an account with about a thousand followers. The caption to the video contained a mysterious message: "This is God's last warning." As local media discovered, the man considers himself a local freestyle performer.
The police have already begun efforts to identify and apprehend the suspect. Information about the extent of the damage to the statue is currently unavailable. It is worth noting that in 2016, the monument had already been relocated from its previous site after a similar act of vandalism.
The statue of Cristiano Ronaldo and the CR7 museum hold an important place in Madeira's tourist routes. The incident has sparked widespread public outcry and condemnation from the footballer's fans.
