August 4 – The Greek economy may be in turmoil but the country remains a popular holiday destination, so much so that Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has just bought up a complete island for agent Jorge Mendes as a wedding present.
The island has not been named but the price tag could apparently run into the millions of dollars.
Mendes, one of world football’s leading agents, married his partner in Portugal on Sunday and among the guests was Sir Alex Ferguson who signed Ronaldo for Manchester United in 2003.
At least a dozen Greek islands are apparently up for sale and while the exact amount Ronaldo paid hasn’t been revealed, according to the website Private Islands Online, costs can range from $3.4 million to $54 million.
Not that Ronaldo needs to watch his wallet. Last year alone, he made almost $80 million, making him the third-highest-paid athlete in the world, according to Forbes.
In a separate, somewhat less savoury episode, the Portuguese three-time world footballer of the year stormed out of a television interview after using foul-mouthed language when asked about the current crisis at FIFA.
Ronaldo told a Spanish broadcaster he did not give a **** about the scandal or about the controversial decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
He said top players preferred to discuss “music, women, fashion, shoes, suitcases/bags, jewelry, haircuts…”
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