Despite being over thirty-eight years old, Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo still enjoys significant admiration in many countries around the world, to the extent that he has sparked a "political storm" in Japan, threatening the professional future of Nagasaki's mayor, according to the Spanish newspaper "Marca."
The newspaper clarified that the former Real Madrid star unintentionally caused this storm after it was revealed that Nagasaki's mayor, Kenjo Oishi, deliberately missed an important meeting of political leaders in Japan because he wanted to attend the friendly match between Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr and Paris Saint-Germain in Osaka on July 25. Oishi explained that he "paid for the ticket out of his own pocket," but the city's government "covered the travel and accommodation expenses."
When the Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo transferred to Al Nassr with a massive media campaign and a sensational deal, he displaced his former rival Lionel Messi from the top of Forbes' list of highest-earning athletes. The politician apologized for exploiting the event to invite the Portuguese star to participate in future promotions for Nagasaki, although some officials claim that "there was no response from Ronaldo" to such promotional requests.
Some politicians and other sectors of public opinion are demanding Oishi's resignation, "for not fulfilling his duties as a public employee properly." They argue that he "prioritized his personal interests and attended an entertainment event instead of being at an important official meeting." On the other hand, Oishi’s supporters believe that his attempt to gain publicity for Nagasaki is "very beneficial" for the city, and thus he was "fulfilling his duties as mayor," according to the newspaper.
