Lyon: Cristiano Ronaldo threw a reporter’s microphone in a lake yesterday after objecting to being approached hours before Portugal’s crunch Euro 2016 match against Hungary.
Ronaldo, 31, has endured a frustrating time in France, hitting the post with his second-half penalty attempt in Saturday’s goal-less draw with Austria. He also drew criticism after slamming Iceland for their “small mentality” after the minnows held Portugal to a 1-1 draw in their opening match.
But the Real Madrid superstar was in no mood to talk when a reporter from the TV station of Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha approached him during a morning team walk at a lake in Lyon, just hours before kick-off.
Video of the incident shows the reporter asking: “Ronaldo, ready for the game today?” But without a word or glance at the journalist, Ronaldo took his microphone and threw it in the lake, then carried on with the team stroll.
There is a history of bad blood between Ronaldo and Correio da Manha, who he successfully sued after the Portuguese newspaper printed details of his private life.  The Portugal captain, however, scored in a record fourth European Championship finals when he backheeled into the net against Hungary in a 3-3 draw.
The goal came in the 50th minute to bring Portugal level at 2-2 in the Stade de Lyon in their final Group F match. And Ronaldo powered home his second goal of the match to level at 3-3 with just under half an hour left to play.
Ronaldo scored on his record 17th appearance in the European Championships finals, another record.
And the Real Madrid star is now bearing down on disgraced former UEFA president Michel Platini as he is just one goal off the Frenchman’s record mark of nine for goals in Euros finals.
The former Manchester United man scored twice as Portugal reached the final on home soil in 2004, just once in a disappointing quarter-final exit in 2008 and three times in 2012 when Portugal were knocked out on penalties in the semi-finals by Spain.
However, Ronaldo is already top scorer in the European championships when qualifiers are included, with 28 goals.
The record is just the latest of goalscoring marks held by the prolific 31-year-old. Already Portugal’s record goalscorer, he surpassed the legendary Luis Figo on Saturday as the man to have most represented his country.
Ronaldo is also the highest goalscorer in the history of the Champions League with 93 – 10 more than closest challenger and eternal Barcelona rival Lionel Messi.
Perhaps, most remarkably of all, Ronaldo has devoured the record as Real’s all-time top scorer. A remarkable strike rate of 364 goals for Los Blancos in just 348 games means he smashed previous record holder Raul’s 323-goal mark having played over 400 fewer matches.