A statue of Manchester United icon Cristiano Ronaldo erected in India has been met with protests after it divided the opinion of the locals.
The hope was that the installation of one of the greatest players of all time would inspire young people in Goa to take up the sport.
Weighing 65 stone, the model of the 36-year-old reportedly cost around £12,000 and its unveiling was met by the waving of black flags by some of the crowd in protest, Times of India report.
The criticism comes after locals felt footballers from the Goa region should have been celebrated rather than the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
Goa minister Michael Lobo tweeted: "For the love of football and at the request of our youth we put up Cristiano Ronaldo's statue in the park to inspire our youngsters to take football to greater heights.
"It was an honour to inaugurate the beautification of open space, landscaping, garden with foundation & walkway."
Goa is a former Portuguese colony, with the Portugal national team still popular in the region.
"Very disappointed to hear of the statue of Ronaldo being erected. Learn to take pride in our own icons like Samir Naik and Bruno Coutinho," one local Goan told the IANS news agency.
"To erect a statue of a Portuguese footballer this year is sacrilegious. We condemn this," IANS quoted right-wing activist Guru Shirodkar as saying. "There are many freedom fighters in Goa who have been insulted," he added.
The statue took three years to be completed following delays due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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