Controversy over Cristiano Ronaldo ‘s statue in Goa, India Football news

Residents are opposed to the Portuguese footballer, who once inhabited Goa, get the honor instead of an Indian player.

The new statue of football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has sparked controversy in the state of Goa, India, and residents are opposed to respecting the Portuguese footballer instead of the Indian player.

Michael Lobo, Minister of the Government of the State of Goa, tweeted on Wednesday that the statue is intended to promote football as a sport and inspire young people to play the game.

– When people talk about football, they talk about Cristiano Ronaldo. So we have installed this statue here, so that boys and girls very, very young to get inspiration, they will feel the inspiration and love and passion for this game will grow, “he said later.

For the love of football and at the request of our youth, we erected a statue of Cristiano Ronaldo in the park to inspire young people to take football higher. It was an honor to open the open space for beautification, landscaping, garden foundations and walkway. pic.twitter.com/VU5uvlSlMT

– Michael Lobo (@ MichaelLobo76) December 28, 2021

Instead, according to the Indian news agency IANS, on Wednesday the day after the unveiling of a 400-pound statue in Panai, the capital of Goa, protesters carrying black flags gathered at the scene to protest.

Not only were the protesters angry at the decision to honor the foreign footballer, but the fact that the player selected was a Portuguese player was considered a particular insult, as the country of Europe occupied Goa as a colony for centuries, leaving only 60 people. years ago.

Protest meeting “Not to Christiano Ronaldo’s statue in Calangute,” to Goa Goans. pic.twitter.com/XtB5MoBWOL

– SagarVarta (agarSagarVarta) December 28, 2021

Lobo told IANS that protesters “simply hated” football.

Ronaldo has not publicly commented on the statue of Goa. In 2017, there was another controversy when the bust of an attacker was widely mocked and eventually replaced at an airport on the island of Madeira in Portugal.

While cricket is still India’s most popular sport, football is enjoying more popularity in some areas, such as Goa.

Although India has a population of more than 1.3 billion, it was worse in football than many other much smaller countries, Lobo told India’s ANI news agency.