Cristiano Ronaldo: Sympathy for the (former) Devil
posted on 12/09/09
I turned over the TV a couple of weeks ago and watched some of the Real Madrid/Deportivo match in La Liga. Raul went down and Real won the penalty. Then came Manchester United’s public enemy #1 (or is it 2?) and former hero Cristiano Ronaldo to take the kick. He put it into the bottom corner as he usually did for the reds and celebrated his first goal for Madrid. . . I expected that this would leave a bitter taste in my mouth and that I would resent even the sight of Ronaldo playing and scoring for Real. But strangely, I didn’t. I thought “Good on you, Ronnie.”. This was a reaction that I didn’t even expect myself as , believe me – I have spat more than my share of vitriol in the direction of Ronaldo – in the summer of 2006 when he got Rooney sent off at the World Cup, in the summer of 2008 when he shown the first real signs of wanting out of United and of course this summer when he finally made his ‘dream’ move to Real Madrid.
There has been a lot written about Cristiano Ronaldo over the last few months. More than usual. But most of it from United supporters has been overwhelmingly negative. Understandable, I mean, United have never been a club that players want to leave unless they aren’t in the team but Ronaldo was the first. That stung, regardless of what we thought about him as a person. United fans always like to believe that it’s the biggest show in town and that any player would crawl over broken glass to play at Old Trafford but Ronaldo – being of Latin descent didn’t feel the same. Instead choosing to pledge his allegiance to a club that also considers itself the largest in world football.
To be fair there is a lot of dislike about Ronaldo. His preening arrogance, his ‘I am the greatest’ attitude, his acting like a child on the pitch when things don’t go his way, pictures of him partying with Paris Hilton, on beaches covered head to toe in baby-oil. . . The list goes on. He is perhaps one of the most irritating footballers who ever lived. He just rubs up people the wrong way. Like Robbie Savage if he was Portuguese, marketable and didn’t have two left feet: Ronaldo could incite near riots.
I really don’t think any United fan in their heart of hearts, no matter how much they profess to ‘hate’ Ronaldo could say that we will be as strong or as threatening to opposing sides this season without him. You don’t lose the World Player of the Year and main goal threat and not miss him. Yes, of course United will survive without Ronaldo. We are far from a ‘one man team’ that many (scousers) were claiming us to be. The Arsenal game displayed that we don’t need him to ‘save the day’ and that we have other players who are ready to step up and push the team forward. That will happen. But he’s a loss. There’s no getting away from that. Even if we’d signed Ribery or Villa this summer: Ronaldo will be missed. It’s inevitable.
I’ve accepted his departure now. He’d won everything at United and wanted a new challenge at the club that he loved from a child in a relatively similar climate culture than that which he was raised in. I can understand that. As a Red I may not like it. But I can understand it. There are still some things that rankle, such as his claims that he was happy to stay at United prior to the Champions League Final. But you have to accept that United aren’t always the club of every player’s dreams. You can’t necessarily hate them simply for that fact, especially in a game where loyalty is largely an illusion.
Was Ronaldo loyal to United? Of course not. Is there loyalty in the game today? I mean, to a certain extent of course there are players like Giggs, Scholes and Neville but they are born locally and were raised with the club in their blood and there are very few players of that ilk (less as the years go on). Is it fair to expect others born in the shadow of clubs other than Old Trafford to feel that same loyalty in a game that is such big-business? Wayne Rooney is my favourite player in a United shirt these days and the way he runs for the cause you’d swear that he bleeds red. But lets remove all bias and remember his badge-kissing and claim of ‘Once a Blue, always a Blue’? in reference to his boyhood idols Everton? I have no doubt that Wayne Rooney will remain at United for a long-time yet, but it would perhaps be fool-hardy of United fans to believe that his loyalty is absolute.
Ronaldo has spoken positively about United and Fergie since he left for Real. I understand that he did before he left, but wouldn’t need to now if it wasn’t heartfelt. I think that United as a club shown great class in the way that Ronaldo left and he himself recognises that. I have little doubt that when the novelty of Madrid wears off and he is treated like a piece of meat by the management and fans that Cristiano will miss the warmth of the Stretford End, his team-mates and the fatherly arm around him of Sir Alex. If your hatred for him is unwavering, I suppose you can be relatively happy in the knowledge that there is a very realistic chance that Portugal won’t make the World Cup in South Africa next year and the egotistical will this have to suffer not having the spotlight on him instead sitting bitterly as most of his ex (and current) teammates strut their stuff on the biggest stage in the game while diving off a yacht in the Mediterranean. But again, if we’re being unbiased and as lovers of the game of football would World Cup without Cristiano Ronaldo present (and possibly also Lionel Messi if Argentina don’t make it) be better or worse in terms of an exhibition of the ‘Beautiful Game’? I know what my answer has to be.
There is no room in life for bitterness and lets remember what the game is all about: Winning matches and trophies and Ronaldo paid United in spades with both. Also earning the club a near £68 million profit on the investment made in 2003. Now that my anger has settled I appreciate what he done for the club that I love: I will never forget the free-kick in the Champions League Semi against Arsenal, The goal in Porto, the towering header against Roma, the header in the CL Final against Chelsea, the free-kick against Portsmouth or that last minute goal at Craven Cottage that went a long way to winning us back our title in the 2006/07 season. It may not be a popular sentiment but I don‘t care. Now that the disappointment and hate has faded. I can say it: Thank you, Cristiano.
Author: Spoonman Red
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