“Someone had to do it and Ronaldo was the big guy who could damn the consequences to do such. It’s a revolution.”
First, let me state clearly that Didier Drogba is my favourite footballer of all time. In addition, Chelsea is my favourite club. Other clubs I have affection for are Napoli, Everton, Roma, Enyimba, BCC Lions, Mamelodi Sundowns and Shooting Stars, in that order. It doesn’t matter if one or two are almost dead, or dead and resurrected; this doesn’t change the fact that I love the clubs.
But I admire and respect Cristiano Ronaldo a lot. I respected Manchester United too. Like Pelé, Maradona, and Messi, CR7 has given too much to our beloved game not to be idolised or honoured. You can’t introduce Ronaldo in a match in the 89th minute. Who does that? It was a deliberate act plotted from the top to mess him up.
I can’t support lie over truth. I’m with Cristiano Ronaldo. He says it just as it is. The English soccer fraternity will destroy you once they are done with you. You don’t disrespect someone like Ronaldo who has brought so much glory to your club and who still returned when you were dead. He’s a living legend and one of soccer’s G.O.A.Ts for crying out loud.
Having Ronaldo in your backyard, even if he’s a cripple, is a great honor to you. He brought attention to that club once more after we’d all forgotten about that tattered thing at Old Trafford and shifted focus on serious-minded clubs like Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea…
Is he bigger than Man U? No one can be bigger than an organisation in which they work. However, Man U had thinned out in stature and global rating and had degenerated over the years to a somewhat mediocre state. In actual fact, Ronaldo should be in clubs like Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Napoli, Bayern, Man City. Not Man U. These days, Arsenal is even better to be with, than Man U. Ronaldo should be treated like a king in any club he finds himself. He’s earned it.
Wayne Rooney, Thiery Henry and all those former players in EPL who have been so spiteful of the Cristiano lately, saying all sorts of hogwash about him, are doing so probably because they will never be like him. They exhibit some latent envy and, of course, a discerning mind knows the kind of jealousy that births bitterness.
By the way, who’s Ten Haag? Who knew him until he came to Manchester United? He wasn’t coming from a small club; he was actually coming from a club which had a rich past as far as European soccer glory is concerned. But the club had diminished in stature and had struggled in the UEFA leagues for two seasons.
Haag was barely known until he came to Man U and one of the biggest players he would ever have the privilege of coaching is C Ronaldo. CR7 had been coached by the best managers on this planet and he’s one of the best players of all time. United and their English fans seem like just another ungrateful English clubside that will burn down their legends (players or coaches) once they appear spent or they play for a rival club and score against them.
Seyi Adebayor left Arsenal for Man City and came to score on his former Arsenal grounds. His celebration fired up hatred and racial slurs from fans that once hailed his stellar performances and goals for their club. It’s a typical British attitude. Once you have issues, they will make a big deal out of it, make you run mad, and then you suddenly become a villain. Next stop: you’re going down. They do it to their prime ministers, so we should not be surprised.
The cases of legendary gold winners like Jose Mourinho, Frank Lampard, Rafael Benitez and Thomas Tuchel can’t be easily forgotten. They were roasted by their clubs and fans at some points. Even my favourite Chelsea did not spare Mourinho and Lampard, their legend. No gratitude. No respect.
I’m happy about that interview with Morgan. He had to call Man U out and, as such, had called out English clubs’ hypocrisy and mediocrity over the years. Someone had to do it and Ronaldo was the big guy who could damn the consequences to do such. It’s a revolution.
Don’t misunderstand me: I won’t encourage rebellion in any organisation. But sometimes, when an organisation is dying due to their own mediocrity, you need to go the whole hog and call them out, for change. This I consider to be a more patriotic act than silence. Nobel Laurette, Wole Soyinka says the man dies in him that keeps silent in the face of tyranny.
Ronaldo is grieving. No one seems to understand this part. He may misstep at some points, as people respond to grief in different ways. He needs help and love; not crucifixion by those who are jealous of his accomplishments or those whose sense of humanity seems gone.
Ronaldo deserves his honour, peace and sanity. That’s what anyone who has brought so much greatness to the soccer game, deserves.
•Professor Folarin is a Texas, US-based professor of International Relations.
