The sculptor of the infamous Cristiano Ronaldo bust has taken a second shot at the sculpture, which will replace the original one at the Madeira airport in Portugal, named after the superstar footballer.
After being widely ridiculed on social media for his first bust last year, 41-year-old Emanuel Santos took one more shot at sculpting a bust that resembles the Real Madrid superstar.
The new sculpture was sanctioned by the American sports website Bleacher Report, and most social media users stated that it did bear resemblance tothe 33-year-old Portuguese forward, while some stated that it was still some way off the mark.
Explaining his rationale behind the first installation, Santos said, “The first Ronaldo bust, if I hadn’t done it the way I did, it would’ve already been forgotten a long time ago. So, sometimes it’s necessary to have a certain bravery to go against the usual and have an impact. Because even though there are people who mock and make negative comments, there are still many people who value it.”
“It was too sudden,” Santos told Bleacher Report, muffling his tears. “[It’s] hard to talk about…But fortunately, that is over.”
He also told the website that he wanted to alter Ronaldo’s smile, given the criticism he had received the first time over the superstar’s facial expression, “The other one was more open, so the cheek was slightly more upwards,” he explained. “This one [is] more closed, so it’s natural that the cheek will be more downwards.”
He added, “I’ve talked with sculptors and they say that a bust made in a natural state – with a mouth not so open and a bit more serious – falls better in the eyes of the public.”
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