The first two Euro 2016 group-stage matches plumbed new depths of misery for Cristiano Ronaldo, so going into Portugal’s suddenly important third match against Hungary, the goalless star wasn’t in the best of moods. So when a CMTV reporter approached him and simply asked “Are you ready for the match?” while the team was on a lovely stroll through Lyon ahead of the match, Cristiano grabbed his microphone and chucked it into a nearby lake.
Without any explanation whatsoever, this is clearly the greatest thing ever. But there is a history between Cristiano and the Portuguese tabloid/news network, which has a reputation for low journalistic standards. In 2014, Cristiano refused to answer a question from one of their reporters, claiming not to know who they were. But given the heightened stress he is currently under, it seems he’s decided to take a more aggressive position with them.
If this doesn’t make you love Cristiano Ronaldo, I honestly don’t know what will.
Cristiano went on to score twice in Portugal’s 3-3 draw with Hungary, perhaps proving that the microphone toss was the cathartic action he needed to settle into this tournament. After the match, he brought the topical humor.
“Careful with those microphones,” says a laughing Ronaldo as he passes Portuguese radio reporters https://t.co/tf3WhECGx1
— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) June 22, 2016