Cristiano Ronaldo’s simple act of gently brushing aside two bottles of sponsor Coca-Cola’s soft drink during the Euro 2020 pre-match conference has taken the internet by storm. The talismanic attacker moved the bottles out of the frame and brandished a water bottle instead, gesturing for people to drink more water instead of cola. The move had a domino effect, as several players, including Frenchman Paul Pogba and Italian Manuel Locatelli, repeated similar acts of advocacy against sugary / unhealthy drinks, which even led FIFA to issue a warning to the national federations.
This episode would have shaved billions, as the shares of the beverage giants plummeted. However, internet users who were impressed by the Portuguese superstar’s gesture took to social media to challenge several prominent celebrities who promoted such drinks or soft drinks. They also compared cricketers and one user lambasted former Sri Lankan captains Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara for promoting the drinks.
One user tagged the two former cricketers in his Tweet, in which he wrote that he was proud of “Cristiano” and criticized Jayawardene and Sangakkara for “promoting” such cola products.
Although Sangakkara did not respond to the post, it did not go well with Jayawardena and he responded to the post with a photo where the Portuguese skipper is promoting Coca-Cola. In a subtle dig at Ronaldo and the fan, the former Sri Lankan skipper wrote: “Oops !!! You did it again”, and added that the football star “should do the parachute jump without a parachute. the next time “.
Jayawardene’s sarcastic reaction impressed several users who praised veteran cricketers for responding with panache. However, another Ronaldo fan pointed out that the advertisement was made 16 years ago and people change over the years. The former cricketer had another exciting response to the same. He wrote that he was “25 years old” at the time and he was promoting “25 years ago”.
and that @Cristiano the announcement was made 16 years ago. People learn, grow and change ð¥ºðâ Hareshver (@Hareshver_) June 18, 2021
The thread quickly went viral and in no time the microblogging site lit up with several reactions. While many users praised his cheeky comment, others criticized him for âdefendingâ the promotion of the drink brand. Here’s how they responded:
âPeople mature with age,â wrote one user and added that Ronaldo is âa good example for this as wellâ.
People mature with their age. I think CR7 is also a good example for that ðâ Tharindu Ketipearachchið±ð°â¨ð¥ (@Katsper_) June 18, 2021
Another user asked what was wrong with being sponsored by “Coca Cola” or for that matter any brand.
So what’s wrong with being sponsored by Coca Cola or a big brand? – Manitha Abeysiriwardana (@OfficialManitha) June 18, 2021
A third had a cheeky response, comparing the date of Ronaldo’s cola ad to his age.
This ad is almost as old as me ðððâ Pratik Maityð®ð³ (@ Sk1nFadeGascoin) June 18, 2021
Get all IPL and Cricket Score news here