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Becoming a professional footballer requires tons of hard work, commitment, and sometimes a slice of luck. While most people know the success that superstars have achieved now, the struggle they endured is often forgotten.
Footballers become their city's icons
Footballers rarely forget their roots and the people they grew up with who shaped their lives. In many ways, these stars make their city known to the entire world. The locals have often shown their appreciation in the form of a statue.
Getting a statue made is one of the biggest honors one can achieve. These footballers have inspired millions by their efforts both on and off the pitch, and are rewarded for the same. Sometimes, although the intention is pure, the end result is a complete disaster.
Now it’s time to look at five of the worst statues of footballers that have been unveiled:
#5 Luis Suarez
A statue of Luis Suarez was unveiled in 2016 in his hometown of Salto in Uruguay. One of the greatest strikers in Europe in his prime, Suarez was bestowed this “honour” by sculptor Alberto Morales Saravia. The unsightly effigy of the striker sees him in the Uruguayan national kit, with his signature celebration.
Suarez arguably spent the best part of his career at Barcelona. The statue was revealed at a time when the Uruguayan was at his peak. He won four La Liga titles, one Champions League, and four Spanish Cups with the Blaugrana amongst other accolades.
Suarez also uploaded a video thanking the creator, which was probably more out of courtesy than appreciation. Fans in his hometown made their thoughts on the statue quite clear. The statue was vandalized by a drunk supporter while Suarez was in Argentina, attending Lionel Messi’s wedding. Some fans think the sculptor got what he deserved.
#4 Alexis Sanchez
Former Arsenal and Barcelona star Alexis Sanchez was recognized with a statue in 2017 in his hometown of Tocopilla. Sanchez himself was called upon to unveil the life-size statue which stands alongside the crests of his past clubs. The statue sees him in his traditional free-kick pose, with his shorts hiked up and hands on his hips.
A national hero, the 33-year-old is Chile's all-time top scorer with 46 goals. He has also made the most appearances for his country. Given his cult status, it came as a surprise when the statue was subject to vandalism. The creation was severely damaged, with its face disfigured. The number 7 on the back was also scratched off.
The Chilean was phenomenal at Arsenal before he made the decision to join rivals Manchester United. Sanchez was at his best under Wenger and would have probably got a statue outside the Emirates if he had stayed longer.
#3 Michael Essien
We now look at this “tribute” given to Ghana legend Michael Essien. The monstrosity was spotted in Kumasi, Ghana, in 2018, when it soon went viral. However, locals claim that the statue was made a few years before that. The artist of this creation remains anonymous, which is probably for his own well-being considering the world’s reaction.
The Ghanian international has won two Premier League titles, three FA Cups and one Champions League with Chelsea. He was also an integral part of the Ghana squad that qualified for the country’s first-ever World Cup in 2006.
Essien’s achievements at both club and country certainly merit a statue to his name. However, the statue looks like something out of a 90’s computer game. It depicts Essien in a bizarre and contorted pose. This, combined with robotic features and asymmetrical proportions, makes it a sight to forget.
#2 Mohamed Salah
A statue of Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah was unveiled in 2018 in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh. The sculpture of the Liverpool ace was created by Mia Abdel Allah and displayed at the World Youth Forum in Egypt.
The statue portrays Salah with comically unnatural proportions, with a large head and a minuscule torso. The artist based the portrayal on Salah’s traditional goal celebration, with his arms open. Fans have been left speechless when it comes to the bizarre creation. Some have claimed it has made the Egyptian look more like Arthur Garfunkel of the folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel.
Salah has rapidly risen to glory with Liverpool and won the Premier League and Champions League with the Reds. The 29-year-old is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world at the moment and deserves all the statues he can get. Thankfully, the more recent model at Madame Tussauds in London does justice to the Egyptian.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
A man with immense influence and fan following all over the globe, one would think nobody would dare to mess up a Cristiano Ronaldo effigy. But Emanuel Santos, the artist behind Ronaldo’s bust has done exactly that.
The artwork was unveiled in March of 2017 at Madeira’s airport. The creation was part of a ceremony organized to rename the airport to Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport. The statue took the world by storm and was widely criticized for doing the five-time Ballon d'Or winner no favors.
The bust features the Manchester United star with narrowly spaced eyes and a lopsided grin. The sculptor received a largely negative response and his creation made the news for the wrong reasons.
Santos defended himself, stating that “Even Jesus did not please everyone". However, after being on display for just 15 months, it was replaced. The latest installation was created by an anonymous Spanish artist.
