Cristiano Ronaldo statue artist creates Gareth Bale bust ahead of Champions League final in Cardiff… and it isn’t much better

BY now we’re sure the infamous Cristiano Ronaldo statue is etched on your brain.

Back in March, Madeira Airport in Portugal was renamed the Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport – with a ‘magnificent’ bust of the man himself unveiled.

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However artist Emanuel Santos then became the subject of hilarity with many commented on the dreadful depiction of star CR7.

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Some cruel suggestions were pitched on Twitter, with Niall Quinn, Paul Konchesky and even The Head from Art Attack being flaunted.

Despite the flop, Santos has been at it again, this time being asked to create a bust of fellow Real Madrid star Gareth Bale ahead of the Champions League final.

Zinedine Zidane’s Galacticos take on Juventus in Bale’s hometown of Cardiff on Saturday night, with the man himself expected to be fit to play.

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It's fair to suggest his attempt at capturing the essence of the Welshman - man-bun and all - is a much more solid effort.

Bookmakers Paddy Power commissioned the piece, which took Santos 264 hours to complete.

It weighs-in at roughly 40kg and is valued at an eye-watering £25,000.

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On the artwork, Santos claimed: "I'm very happy. I feel very proud of it. For me, it's an honour to make Gareth Bale because he's a great player."

But of course that hasn't stopped social media from taking a swipe at the artwork.

Here's what Twitter had to say on the Bale bust...