Portuguese football great and five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo’s statue has been installed in the Indian state of Goa to inspire youths to take football to greater heights in the States and Country.
“For the love of football and at the request of our youth we put up Cristiano Ronaldo’s statue in the park to inspire our youngsters to take football to greater heights,” Goa Minister Michael Lobo said on Twitter.
“It was an honor to inaugurate the beautification of open space, landscaping, garden with foundation & walkway, “ he added.
Twitter users, however, were not impressed with the explanation given by officials.
Ronaldo, who is Portuguese, reminded people of the state’s colonial past as Goa was once ruled by Portugal and only became a part of independent India after the nation’s army invaded the state in December 1961.
Meanwhile, others argued that instead of installing a statue of Ronaldo, authorities should have unveiled a statue of the Indian team’s skipper Sunil Chhetri or other footballing legends in the country.
Despite the severe backlash, the Manchester United forward, who is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, remains hugely popular across the world, including India.
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