Andriy Yarmolenko pokes fun at Cristiano Ronaldo as Ukraine ace asks Coca-Cola and Heineken for sponsorship deals

UKRAINE winger Andriy Yarmolenko jokingly mocked Cristiano Ronaldo by asking for Coca-Cola and Heineken to sponsor him.

Ronaldo, 36, hit the headlines earlier this week in a pre-match press conference when he moved two Coca-Cola bottles out of shot and implored people to drink water instead.

Then in a similar fashion, Paul Pogba, who is a practicing Muslim and does not drink alcohol, moved a Heineken bottle out of shot during his post-match interview after France’s win over Germany.

Italy star Manuel Locatelli also removed a Coca-Cola bottle from his table before talking to the press.

But Yarmolenko took a more humorous approach when he addressed the media following Ukraine’s 2-1 victory against North Macedonia on Thursday as he moved the bottles INTO the camera shot.

The 31-year-old West Ham man said: “Can I do something? I saw Ronaldo doing this.

“I want to move the [Coca-Cola bottles] here and I want to move the beer here.

“Coke and Heineken, please get in touch.”

Yarmolenko’s wind-up comes just hours after Scotland international John McGinn also had a little joke about the drinks bottles story.

When he arrived for his press conference and saw there was only water on the table, he said with a wry smile: “Nae Coke?”

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Ronaldo’s removal of the Coca-Cola from his press conference had a dramatic impact on the company’s worth.

After the incident, Coke’s shares on the New York Stock Exchange fell by 1.6 per cent to wipe £2.83billion off their value.

But Uefa will not intervene to demand more respect for the money men.

A spokesman said: “Players are offered water, alongside Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, on arrival at our press conferences.

“Everyone is entitled to their drink preferences.”

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