What will happen to Cristiano Ronaldo? Will someone take on the expensive and erratic superstar? The world of football is swirling with burning questions. Not even Sir Alex Ferguson softened the Portuguese gunner. Ronaldo clearly declared during Wednesday’s negotiations that he wants to end his contract with the Red Devils as soon as possible. He wants the Champions League, which Manchester United cannot offer him this year.
Jokes circulate on the Internet. Ronaldo’s smiling head wanders through the crowd of possible suitors, he offers himself to them, but everyone gives up on one of the best football players in history, as if they run away from his reach under the action of the same magnetic poles.
Or the one about how Bayern Munich will give 20 million euros to the thirty-seven-year-old native of Funchal, Madeira. When he stops calling them.
Cruel, but such is the world of top football. You don’t play on merit, and Ronaldo didn’t exactly convince football progressives last season.
Manchester United, especially after his arrival, became a chaotic, disjointed party that could not compete with the best teams in the Premier League. Ronaldo was doing what he does best, scoring goals. He used eighteen of them in the league.
According to some, the Red Devils would be even worse off without him, but according to others, it was his work that destroyed the team spirit at Old Trafford.
The Portuguese drew a lot of attention to himself, often scolding his teammates theatrically during setbacks, as if to indicate: I’m doing everything I can, but others are ruining it for me.
In addition to his problematic behavior, the experts blamed him for a lack of work commitment during the press. Even the famous German strategist Ralf Rangnick was at a loss. He sometimes hinted with his moves that he could imagine the starting line-up without Ronaldo, but in the end he did not find enough courage.
New United coach Erik ten Hag appeared willing to turn a blind eye to Ronaldo’s ailments. Or try to change them. Although he answered briefly at the first press conference after his arrival.
Does Ronaldo fit into your project? – Of course. What will Ronaldo bring to the team? – Goals. Do you expect leadership skills from Ronaldo? – I’ll talk to Ronald first.
He added in one breath that his football will be a lot about the press. “We are playing in the Theater of Dreams and we have to have fun. We have to play attacking, adventurous football and present ourselves with a totally high press,” said the fifty-two-year-old Dutch coach.
In the summer, Cristiano Ronaldo excused himself from the overseas tour for family reasons and knows nothing about the completely new philosophy presented by Ten Hag, not even two weeks before the start of the competition.
However, official reports from Manchester are such that United do not want to sell Ronaldo, who is paid 360,000 pounds per week, a year before the end of his contract. And they claim they have not received any offers for the Portuguese veteran.
Of course, there are plenty of speculations, but one by one they are really just speculations.
The last one about Atlético Madrid. “I have no idea who is making up the rumors surrounding Ronaldo’s arrival. It’s unthinkable,” says club president Enrique Cerezo.
Ronaldo spent nine amazing years in the colors of city rivals, Real. That’s why the fans of Los Colchoneros spoke up. And they certainly don’t mind only Ronaldo’s “white” past.
A large umbrella organization covering many individual fan clubs has issued an official statement as to why it does not want a famous star in its colors.
“We absolutely reject any hypothetical involvement of Cristiano Ronaldo in our club. The player in question is the antithesis of the values that are hallmarks of Atlético, such as effort, generosity, simplicity and humility,” the text read.
“Even in the unlikely event that a player in such decline as Cristiano Ronaldo would secure the title for us, we would not accept his signature,” the fans continued.
“The sense of belonging to our Atlético is not in his ability, so he could never achieve our affection or recognition. We therefore ask the club to reject his possible signing, if he was ever considered.”
Other variants also appear to be from the realm of science-fiction. Return to Real Madrid? Linking up with Lionel Messi at Paris St. Germaine? No, no one is rushing to hire Ronaldo.
“Although I appreciate Cristiano as one of the greatest players, this move would not fit into our philosophy,” Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn said a few weeks ago, apparently summarizing the current thinking of other big European clubs.
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