'Even Jesus didn't please everyone'- Ronaldo sculptor defends statue

Emanuel Santos, the sculptor behind the widely criticized Ronaldo statue has defended his work, maintaining that he and the Real Madrid star are happy with it. The Airport in Madeira was officially renamed after the ex Manchester United star at a a ceremony which took place yesterday, but pictures of the 32 year-old’s bronze bust took the internet by storm with many suggesting that it resembles former Arsenal forward Niall Quinn or The Head from BBC television programme ‘Art Attack’ than Ronaldo.

Reacting to the comments, the Madeiran artist told Globo.com. “I was with his brother at Cristiano’s museum in Madeira and from the messages he sent, I could tell that he liked what he saw. He only asked for some wrinkles that gave him a certain expression in his face when he’s about to laugh to be changed. He said it made him look older and asked for it to be thinned out a bit to make it smoother and more jovial. But they gave it the go-ahead and they liked what they saw.”

He continued,“It is impossible to please the Greeks and Trojans. Neither did Jesus please everyone. This is a matter of taste, so it is not as simple as it seems. What matters is the impact that this work generated. There is always the possibility of making a difference, I was prepared for all this.”

Kelechi Nwakali thinks Nigeria has the most Arsenal fans in the world because of Kanu.

Arsenal fans come in here! MVV Maastricht forward, Kelechi Nwakali believes that Nigeria has the most Arsenal fans in the world because of one of it’s club legends, Kanu Nwankwo. Do you agree with that assertion?
The Nigeria U-20 captain who recently made Goal.com’s list of the 50 best under-19 talents in the world revealed in an interview how a phone call from his mentor, Kanu inspired his move to London.
“Kanu called me after the U-17 World Cup and said Arsenal wanted me; that the boss Arsene Wenger called him about me, He’s  been my mentor, a brother and a friend. He advised me to go and develop and prove who I am. He calls me every day and I get advice from him every time. From a young age I’ve dreamt of playing for Arsenal. I think God made it easy for me because that has been my dream team.”

"Is it too late to get their money back?" Ronaldo's new statue is stirring the internet. See our best reactions.

Earlier today, Cristiano Ronaldo had the Madeira Airport in his hometown named after him but a statue of the Portuguese unveiled in the ceremony has been stealing the headlines. The bust which sadly looked nothing like him has been tagged a horrendous piece of art on the internet. See our best reactions from the topic.
What we know is that chill has departed from the land of the living!


https://twitter.com/RichLawidge/status/847087419807711232


https://twitter.com/SportDictatorHQ/status/847070920757829632

Aeroporto Cristiano Ronaldo! Madeira Airport has been named after Ronaldo. (Photos)

Cristiano Ronaldo has had the Airport in his hometown of Madeira, the Madeira International Airport named after him. It is now called Aeroporto Cristiano Ronaldo. A new sign with the Portuguese’s face and name has been placed on the front of the airport.
 


Reacting to the huge honour, the La Liga star said, “Seeing my name being given to this airport is something very special, everyone knows that I am proud of my country and my country. I know some people do not agree, but I am not a hypocrite and I assume that some are here right now. We all have the right to have an opinion. I always prefer people who voice their positions to those who hide behind them.”



Brazil become first nation to qualify for 2018 World Cup

Brazil have become the first team to qualify for the Russia 2018 World Cup after an emphatic  3-0 win over Paraguay.


Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho gave the team a lead in a low opener, Neymar doubled the lead with an incredible goal at the second half before Marcelo sealed a late third.
Brazil are the only country that have appeared at every FIFA World Cup finals

I am happy at Man City – Bravo

Claudio Bravo has said he is happy to stay at Manchester City despite losing his place to Willy Caballero. The former Barcelona skipper also branded reports of his exit from the English club, ‘fake news’. And he is not moved by reports that coach Pep Guardiola wants to sign a new goalkeeper.
“The issue that I was not playing came out, many examples of fake news have come out. Things that, above all, have no information about them. Many things also come out from this country that are not true – that I have a psychologist, or an English teacher to have a faster adaptation to life in England.  It’s all false, that I’m looking for another place to play, because I want to leave, things that are not true. I’m happy in England and so is my family.” he said after Chile’s 1-0 defeat against Argentina on Saturday.
In other words, the Chilean is staying put in England until the powers that be decide otherwise.

Barca to name training ground stadium after Johan Cruyff

Barcelona have revealed their intention to name their new stadium in the Ciutat Esportiva training complex after club legend, Johan Cruyff who passed on last year, March. The Dutch who passed on at age 68 donned the Barcelona kit 143 times between 1973 and 1978, scoring 48 goals. He managed the club between 1988 and 1996, winning four La Liga titles consecutively from 1991 to 1994,the 1989 European Cup Winners Cup and the 1992 European Cup final.
A three time winner of the Ballon d’Or trophy (1971, 1973 and 1974), the 1974 trophy as well as his number 9 shirt have been donated to the club by the Cruyff family for display in the FC Barcelona Museum that will have a section dedicated to the life of Cruyff. There are also plans to have a commemorative sculpture at the new Camp Nou.

Lionel Messi gets 4-game ban

Untypical of him!
Argentina/Barcelona forward, Lionel Messi has been banned for four international matches for directing insulting words at a match official during Argentina’s 1-0 win over Chile on Thursday, March 23. Messi reportedly used the ‘F’ word on the linesman. The 29 year-old who was also handed a £8,100 fine discovered his fate six hours before kick-off in Argentina’s qualifier away to Bolivia in La Paz today.
Lionel Messi will miss Argentina’s World Cup qualifier against Bolivia as well as games against Uruguay, Venezuela and Peru before returning for the final match against Ecuador.

My kids don't want to talk about their mother's death- Rio Ferdinand

Ex England player, Rio Ferdinand has said it has been difficult getting his children to talk about their mother’s death. The former captain who lost his 34 year-old wife, Rebecca to cancer in May 2015 told BBC that he gets shut down by the three children, aged 10, 8 and 5 each time he asks about their feeling.

He told BBC Radio 5 live, ahead of a BBC One documentary,  “I didn’t know any techniques to speak to the children. I didn’t know what buttons to push. I’d been starting conversations with them to try and get how they were feeling out, and they would just shut me down, walk away, close the conversation down completely.”

He continued, “It kind of opened everything up and it was a beautiful moment just seeing them talk happily and being joyful about their mum rather than it being sad and negative moments. It switched it from dark to bright.  


“When you come into this situation you understand suicide, you understand people who do that and have those thoughts. I didn’t think about it myself but I understand now how people get to that situation. I can’t judge people like that now, whereas before I’d be sitting there, probably with Rebecca, saying that guy is so ignorant and selfish how has he just done that – left three beautiful kids.Now I could say I understand how he got to that point. I wouldn’t do it, but I understand how he’s there. You do get to those levels – and so it’s a work-in-progress.
 “At the beginning I’d sit and think how am I ever going to be happy? I can’t see a point where I’m ever going to be able to smile, because I can get happy over here, but then I look at my children – and that brings you right back into sadness again because they haven’t got a mum.”
 
Source: BBC
 

Not Again! Police seize £73 million worth of Lionel Messi-branded cocaine.

£73million worth of cocaine branded with Lionel Messi’s face and kept inside of 1,200 giant squid fillets has been seized in Peru.

The packages which had Messi’s logo, name and the royal seal of the King of Spain on them weighed 1,417 kilograms. They arrived from the Apurimac, Ene and Mantaro Rivers Valley region in Peru and were destined for Belgium.
In September 2015, the New York Post reported that $3 million worth of cocaine, with ‘Messi’ label were seized from two men in the Bronx.

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