Cristiano Ronaldo might have taken the fizz out of Coca-Cola’s share price after shunning the soft drinks giant at a Euro 2020 press conference, but Russia manager Stanislav Cherchesov has no such concerns about the black stuff.
Ronaldo’s act of removing a pair of Coke bottles and promoting the virtues of water at a press conference ahead of Portugal’s match against Hungary this week supposedly wiped billions from the American beverage maker’s share price.
The chiseled Portuguese football icon clearly has concerns about being pictured with a drink which has long been accused of causing obesity and rotting people’s teeth.
But don’t worry Coke execs, you still have a big fan in the form of Russia manager Cherchesov.
The 57-year-old ‘Sbornaya’ boss was happy to swig on a bottle of Coke at his pre-match press conference before Russia took on Finland in St. Petersburg this week.
Appearing alongside his coach, Russia defender Georgy Dzhikiya initially gestured to the bottles and asked Cherchesov: “Did you see what Cristiano did when he got rid of the bottles?”
Cherchesov merely shrugged before glugging on a bottle of Coke Zero which had been placed in front of him.
The moment was shared widely online, drawing humor for the comparisons between the approach from the slightly more rotund Cherchesov – a former international goalkeeper – and Ronaldo, a man famously obsessed with treating his body as temple.
Some joked that Cherchesov’s gesture would rapidly restore Coke’s share price – while Ronaldo would be triggered.
But Ronaldo might not always have been so right-minded about being pictured with Coke products.
But if Coke have lost a fan in Ronaldo, at least they’ve still got one in Cherchesov.