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 pouring 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 his top 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.
The male posted the outlandish video, taken by the CR7 Museum in the Madeiran capital Funchal, to his 1,000 followers on Instagram on Tuesday morning.
He goes by 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 @cristiano.”
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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.
Although initially the flames took hold of the entire statue, they quickly died down.
Critics – including Ronaldo fans – vented their fury in the comments on the post as police said they had already identified the fire starter but were yet to track 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, possibly referencing the part of the video where the individual thrusts his groin towards the Ronaldo statue before sticking up his middle finger at it, added: “He needs help.”
The statue, 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 followers.
Ronaldo, now playing for Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr, returned to Madeira to pose in front of the bronze effigy’s unveiling in 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.”
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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 No10 on the statue as the then-Barcelona man pipped Ronaldo to claim his 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 claimed 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.”
A CR7 Museum spokesman said the fire incident was being handled by police and stated: “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 statue vandalised this morning is a different one from a bust of Cristiano Ronaldo at the Portuguese island 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.
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