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Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo took to Twitter to congratulate his friend and Singapore-based businessman and owner of Valencia CF Peter Lim over his donation amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lim, one of the richest men in Singapore, has made a stunning donation of $1m in meals for hospital and other front line workers as a sign of support and appreciation for their work. It is reported that this will enable up to 20,000 workers to cash in these food coupons at over 160 food outlets in association with this donation.
The iconic Portuguese took to Twitter saying, "Well done, my friend!" to commend Lim's gesture, who has also made a series of other donations to help aid the battle against coronavirus.
Lim and Cristiano Ronaldo share an excellent relation off the pitch. In June 2015, it was announced that the businessman had acquired the global image rights of the Portuguese in lucrative six-year-deal. Hong Kong-based Mint Media, owned by Lim, currently manages Cristiano Ronaldo's image rights.
That was the start of a lengthy list of endorsements and associative events between the pair.
Upon announcing the deal back then, Lim said,
"Ronaldo is not just a great soccer player, he is also a very popular personality. I am confident that the Cristiano Ronaldo brand will continue to grow."
Cristiano Ronaldo also remarked on his admiration for Lim, saying,
"Peter (Lim) has valuable and extensive business network and I have always admired Peter’s entrepreneurial savvy and his ability to grow businesses."
The Real Madrid legend added,
"He is also a good friend whom I have known for a while. I believe he will be a good partner and good value-add for my brand."
Cristiano Ronaldo has also taken time off from his usually packed schedules for his friend Lim. In 2017, the forward went through a 16-hour stopover to meet his friend in Singapore in between a tight Asia tour schedule.
Cristiano Ronaldo leading Juventus' title charge
A five-time Ballon d'Or winner, Cristiano Ronaldo in the midst of another impressive season before the coronavirus lockdown was implemented. Having racked up 21 goals and three assists in just 22 Serie A appearances, the Funchal-native was set to guide Juventus to another Serie A title.
Juventus and Cristiano Ronaldo were in a heated battle with surprise Scudetto contenders Lazio as the capital club have had a phenomenal 2019/20 season. The likes of Ciro Immobile, Sergej Milinković-Savić, Luis Alberto, Luiz Felipe and many more have come to the forefront of Serie A's most exciting group of players.
With the Serie A still undecided on a potential return this season, there are positive signs for the return of European football after Bundesliga announced the resuming of the German top-flight this month. La Liga Santander clubs including Barcelona and Sevilla, have already begun light training with the first-team squads. Cristiano Ronaldo's former club Real Madrid are set to resume training from Monday after all their players tested negative for COVID-19.
Things are a bit more complicated in the English top-flight as several Premier League clubs have opposed the plan proposed by Project Restart, including playing at neutral venues. The French top-flight Ligue 1 has already confirmed to have been abandoned and defending champions PSG were awarded the title for the 2019/20 season.
