At the final whistle at the Santiago Bernabeu, Sir Alex Ferguson waited by the tunnel to have a word with Cristiano Ronaldo. The players were leaving the field after a gripping Champions League first-leg encounter between Real Madrid and Manchester United that saw the teams share the spoils. Ronaldo went straight to his ‘football father’ and the two embraced, holding each other tight. Later, the Real Madrid winger dropped in at the United locker room to meet his old friends.
True to his words, Ronaldo didn’t celebrate his goal that gave his team a lifeline, going into the return-leg fixture. In fact, he looked a tad apologetic. It was almost like the Denis Law moment. In 1974, United were relegated to the old second division as Law scored for Manchester City with an outrageous back-heel in the League derby at Old Trafford. ?I was inconsolable after the sad reality dawned on me. Even after 29 years it continues to haunt me,? said Law in a recent interview. He went to City from his old club in a free transfer but always remained a Red at heart. Ronaldo too remains a United man despite leaving the club about four years ago.
It is likely that he might return ?home? next season. There have been reports that United are lining up a 55 million pound bid to bring Ronaldo back at Old Trafford as the contract negotiations between the player and Real Madrid have broken down. The real bone of contention is money, though Ronaldo has repeatedly complained at the perceived lack of support from the Spanish club. He is said to be frustrated at Real Madrid’s unwillingness to lower the 40% share that the club receives from his individual endorsements. He joined the Spanish giants for a record transfer fee of 80 million pounds in 2009 and his present contract runs till 2015. It remains to be seen if Real Madrid will allow their biggest star to go for a loss. But if eventually United manage to land Ronaldo, then it would be the most extravagant deal in their history.
Ronaldo’s wage is around 2,00,000 pounds per week and United are believed to be working with the sponsors to cover a big part of his salary. There are reports that General Motors are interested in the deal as they want to use Ronaldo as their global brand ambassador. Quality-wise it’s very difficult to choose between Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Both are great players in their own right, game changers. But unlike Ronaldo, Messi doesn’t have an impact on football’s financial market. It’s unlikely that Messi will ever leave Barcelona. Ronaldo, on the other hand, is always willing to pounce, when he sees a rich opportunity. It makes him perhaps the only international footballer at the moment who can change the monetary base of any club. And as the return is guaranteed, clubs are willing to break the bank.
However, very few teams in the world can afford Ronaldo. Europe’s football body UEFA has already warned Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain for ?flouting? its financial fair play rules and some other clubs are also put on alert. After the big fall of Glasgow Rangers and Portsmouth, the European football’s governing body is working overtime to stem the continuous flow of red ink. United are the richest of them all. They have recently become the first sports team in the world with a $3 billion valuation, and with a global fan base of 659 million they remain the most attractive option for the sponsors. Also, as Ferguson has informed, that 80 million pounds received from Ronaldo’s transfer to Real Madrid are still stored safely in the vault.
Time will tell if Ronaldo will be coming back to United. For the moment, however, the world is eagerly waiting for his return to Old Trafford for the Champions League return-leg fixture. At Bernabeu, Phil Jones man-marked him with a certain degree of success, though he couldn’t stop the Portuguese genius from scoring. The United midfielder is nursing an ankle injury and is unlikely to play the return-leg match. So, who is going to stop Ronaldo this time? Ferguson was in attendance at Nou Camp as his former pupil toyed with the Barcelona defence during the Copa del Rey semi-final. The United manager knows Ronaldo’s game inside out and must have chalked a plan for the very important encounter ahead. But as Ferguson has said, even the best-laid plans can go awry when Ronaldo is in the mood.
From Alfredo Di Stefano to Ferenc Puskas, Pele, George Best, Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona and Zinedine Zidane ? football has seen many superstars. But Messi and Ronaldo have taken stardom to a different level. The Argentine mesmerises with his soccer sorcery but deep inside, he still remains a little boy who joined the La Masia academy as an 11-year-old. He had been diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency and came to Barcelona as River Plate were unable to bear the cost of his treatment. Since then, Messi has grown up the Barcelona way. Even now he is reluctant to move out of his comfort zone. Like his football, Ronaldo is more adventurous ? never afraid to dive into the unknown. Unlike Messi, he loves the limelight. At 27.5 million pounds per annum, Messi’s income from football is a little higher than Ronaldo’s 24.3 million pounds. But the latter’s earnings from endorsements are 14.5 million pounds compared to Messi’s 12.5 million pounds. Ronaldo is born to sway the market.