What was supposed to be a carefully choreographed sponsor's event with Cristiano Ronaldo as 'brand ambassador' was quickly ambushed by Spanish journalists, baying for blood.
Real Madrid's Ronaldo was presented to the world's media last week at a swanky reception in Madrid to extol the virtues of the Castrol Rankings, a new system that compares the best players around the world.
A busload of reporters from 17 nations, including faraway Vietnam, the US and Australia, had accepted invitations to attend Ronaldo's press conference, with the dangling carrot of one-on-one interviews afterwards with the reigning Fifa World Footballer of the Year.
But, blocking the view of the visitors who sat with local journalists was more than a dozen photographers, jostling for elbow-room and primed for the grand entrance of CR9 in a cramped function room.
'This press conference will be conducted in English,' stressed host Ray Stubbs, the veteran commentator, to the Spanish contingent who were armed with translation headsets. 'It won't start until all photographers are seated.'
Eventually the paparazzi settled down and the Portuguese peacock strutted in, accompanied by inspirational rock music. A brief explanation about the rankings followed - Ronaldo is third on the list behind Barcelona's Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi - before the session was opened to the floor.
