It was Manchester United that gave Cristiano Ronaldo the platform to make himself known to the world.
Man United was also the club where Ronaldo first associated himself with the number 7, which was handed to him by Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Portuguese ace used the opportunities well to propel his career not only as a footballer but also as a brand, earning him the global superstar status that he has today.
He uses the mega influencing power of his name to run many successful businesses, one of which is a chain of luxury hotels – Pestana CR7.
Pestana is a Portuguese leisure and tourism company that the Juventus superstar has teamed up with to launch hotels in Madeira, Lisbon, Madrid, New York, Marrakesh, and Paris in the past. And now plans are being made to build another one.
The ‘CR7 Pestana’, due to open in Manchester in 2023, will be an 11-story tower housing 151-bedrooms, a ground floor bar and cafe, a basement gym, and roof terrace and will overlook Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens. The cost of the project, subject to planning permission from the Manchester Council, is estimated to be €30 million (£27m).
“It couldn’t be more appropriate – after all, this is the city where Cristiano Ronaldo started his international career in Man United back in 2003 and where he first used number 7,” the hotel group announced, according to Daily Mail.
“Besides football, Manchester is known by the music scene, the birthplace of the industrial revolution, and one of the largest Chinese communities in Europe.”
