Cristiano Ronaldo has been given the green light to build a pergola on the roof of his £6.5million Portuguese penthouse.
Ronaldo, 38, is replacing an ‘eyesore’ rooftop gazebo that he was ordered to tear down by Lisbon City Council.
Council bosses said he had to remove the controversial glass structure after they found it had been built without planning permission.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who left Manchester United under a cloud for Saudi side Al-Nassr, has now been given until July to put up the new pergola in its place.
Ronaldo’s penthouse in the centre of Lisbon, next to the capital’s Eduardo VII Park, became the most expensive property in the country’s history when he bought in July 2018.
But his purchase has been overshadowed by the extraordinary row over the gazebo, which ended in the block’s architect Jose Mateus threatening to take legal action against the star.
Mr. Mateus was unpleased that Ronaldo had built the gazebo on the roof, which meant that the building exceeded its maximum legal height. He then accused Ronaldo of ‘scoring an own goal’ and ‘dishonouring his work’.
Even Cristiano’s sister Elma Aveiro waded into the row and slammed critics who ‘think they can tell us what to do in our own homes.’ His other sister, former singer Katia Aveiro who is now based in Brazil, raged: ‘Do us Portuguese deserve you?’
There has not yet been any official comment from Ronaldo or his representatives. Photos and video footage showing the last of the gazebo being removed has been published in the Portuguese press.
Lisbon City Hall appeared to confirm in May the gazebo had been built illegally without permission, as planning chiefs announced an investigation and invited submissions from Ronaldo and his advisors justifying what had occurred.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star’s penthouse in the capital is part of a property empire that includes a £6million mansion on a fortress estate outside Madrid called La Finca and a seven-storey apartment block in the Madeiran capital Funchal where his mum and older brother Hugo live.
He and his partner Georgina Rodriguez are currently having a giant family home built at Quinta da Marinha on the Portuguese Riviera a half-hour drive from Lisbon.
The 3,100-square foot three-bed apartment where he had to take down his gazebo is said to include a spa, swimming pool, gym, and three large bedrooms.
The gazebo is understood to have been erected in place of a pool and a lounge area which appeared on design models before the property was sold.
