GERES, Portugal – Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo's new home is proving to be a security headache -- even before the builders put up the walls.
"It has 24-hour security, but people come anyway to take a peek at the building, see the site and take pictures," local resident Agostinho Ribeira told Tuesday's Jornal de Noticias.
The Real Madrid and former Manchester United striker, who jealously guards his own private life, is building a luxury country home in the isolated woods of Geres, northern Portugal. The area, known for its natural beauty, has an abundance of brooks, waterfalls and mountains.
Located on a perilously steep cliff by a river, the house itself is virtually inaccessible by road, but that is not deterring visitors from coming to see it in rented boats and on foot.
"It's still under construction," a spokesperson for the local emergency services said. "Imagine when it is completed, and he's here on vacation."
Last Friday, the 26 year old had his baby son baptized at an airbase chapel in Alcochete, near Portugal's capital, Lisbon. The News of the World reported that he even hired armed guards to keep out unwanted visitors.
Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. was born in the US on June 17 last year. The mother's identity was never revealed but is widely reported to be a student paid £10 million ($16 million) by Ronaldo to give up her maternal rights.
Ronaldo is currently the highest-paid soccer player in the world, with a weekly salary believed to be in the region of £180,000 ($292,000). In May, he set a new Spanish league goal-scoring record with 40 goals in the 2010-11 Primera Liga season.
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