- A bust of Cristiano Ronaldo — kept at the Cristiano Ronaldo Airport — was widely derided in 2017.
- A sports website challenged its sculptor, Emanuel Santos, to make an updated version.
- It was a challenge Santos accepted.
- You can see Santos' second attempt below.
A peculiar statue of Cristiano Ronaldo has been updated.
The original bust was unveiled at Madeira Airport, when it was officially re-named the Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport in 2017.
The statue looked so bad it was mercilessly mocked on social media and bore a greater likeness to the Mad magazine kid Alfred E. Neuman than it did to the famed Real Madrid and Portugal national team striker.
Now, one year on, the sculptor Emanuel Santos has updated the bust — but is it an improvement?
Sports website Bleacher Report challenged Santos to unveil the second bust on the one year anniversary of his first, universally derided, attempt. It was a challenge Santos accepted — and the sculptor is delighted with the finished product.
"It's very good," he said in a ten minute Bleacher Report documentary.
"The [first] one of Ronaldo I made, if I hadn't done it the way I did, it would've 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.
"Even though there are people who mock and make negative comments there are still many people who value it. And what I've learned through all this time is that no matter how few people can see the positive side of the work there are enough to give us strength."
Santos' updated bust is a more polished version with a greater likeness to its subject — Ronaldo.
But not everybody is impressed.
The Guardian's art and design critic Eddy Frankel lambasted the do-over by calling it "dreadful."
Twitter users also blasted the statue, with one saying that while the newest statue may be better looking, it "somehow looks less like Ronaldo than the original."
Emmanuel Santos, the chap who did the awful Ronaldo bust, was challenged to do another one and accepted.
— Alexander Cruz Vidal (@ACruzVidal) March 29, 2018
Problem is, while the new one is a much better looking statue, it somehow looks less like Ronaldo than the original! 😂 pic.twitter.com/MO4wtvb3W6
Another said he preferred the first.
So the geezer who made that Ronaldo Bust made another one a year after it was revealed. Think I prefer the first one tbf pic.twitter.com/vGz8IuHmOX
— Brandon Locke (@brandon_j_locke) March 29, 2018
However, some people seem pleased with Santos' second model.
It's fair to say the second version of Cristiano Ronaldo's sculpture came out a bit better (via @BleacherReport) https://t.co/UA05yk1V5O
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 30, 2018
The artist who made Ronaldo’s bust a year ago got a second chance. He did better this time! pic.twitter.com/VkFifH3uPe
— RΛMIN NΛSIBOV (@RaminNasibov) March 30, 2018
Compare the two side-by-side — which do you prefer?
29.03.2017 vs. 29.03.2018
— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 29, 2018
Emmanuel Santos' shot at redemption. pic.twitter.com/A91RjDJCOF
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