Cristiano Ronaldo’s footballing exploits have raised him to insurmountable fame, and with such notoriety comes an added security risk, as detailed by a former bodyguard
Cristiano Ronaldo’s former bodyguard has admitted that people and fans would ‘threaten’ the Portuguese superstar, though his life was never at risk. Having emerged at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson, Ronaldo rose to become one of European football’s finest and won his first of five Ballons d’Or in 2008 as a Red Devil.
A four-time Champions League-winning spell with Real Madrid followed, before a stint with Juventus, a short-lived return to Old Trafford and an unceremonious exit to the Saudi Pro League with Al Nassr. Throughout his illustrious career for club and country, in which he has mustered over 900 goals and won countless accolades, the superstar’s fame has transcended football.
Ronaldo is one of the most recognisable sports stars, if not celebrities, in the world, but such popularity brings with it its fair share of risk. On Wednesday, for example, a fan evaded security before Portugal’s match against Germany and invaded the pitch, getting his hands around the 40-year-old before being escorted away by security.
The Al Nassr forward has, therefore, often sought the help of a bodyguard, and Hichman, who served him for four years, has given insight into the sort of threats he would aim to deal with and how much he’d be paid.
“Our work depends on the client’s profile. In the case of Cristiano, with whom I worked for four years, his profile wasn’t high-risk because people didn’t want to kill him, and he didn’t receive death threats,” Hichman told Telecinco. “He was threatened by fans or people who wanted to rob him.”
The 36-year-old Hichman went on to detail the strategies he would employ to keep Ronaldo, his partner Georgina Rodriguez and their children safe.
“We always have to know where we’re going, who will be there, and have clear entry and exit points, as well as contact points,” he continued. “We must always be aware that our lives could be at risk. We have to be willing to protect a person, and sometimes we have to give our lives to protect them.
“If I have to use weapons, I will use them. The most important thing is having the ability to think quickly, solve problems, and remain calm in difficult situations.”
Hichman looks back fondly on his time serving the marksman, claiming that he would earn around £850 per day providing security for Ronaldo, with whom he has a positive relationship despite not working for him anymore.
“He is the best boss I’ve ever had,” stated Hichman. “We have a good relationship. Working with him wasn’t like working with someone threatened with death or kidnap. We had some silly incidents with paparazzi or crazy fans, but nothing major.”
Aside from making life difficult for photographers and trying to keep Ronaldo’s family out of the public eye as much as possible, Hichman revealed that he never dealt with serious threats to the 40-year-old.
There have been many instances of fans running onto the pitch, as occurred during Portugal’s Nations League clash this week, to try and get a close-up glimpse of Ronaldo or attempt to take a selfie with him.
Yet, in April, Marca reported that Ronaldo had ramped up security efforts after threats were made against his family on social media, allegedly from a group located in Saudi Arabia, where he currently resides.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
