Ronaldo by Luca Caioli

Author:Luca Caioli
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: football, Real Madrid, Manchester United, biography
Publisher: Icon Books
Published: 2012-01-18T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Sir Alex and Cristiano

‘Ferguson has always been like a second father to me.’

‘Cristiano has been a marvellous player for Manchester United,’ says Sir Alex Ferguson. ‘His contribution has been a major factor in the club’s success in that time and his talent, his ability to entertain and his infectious personality have enthralled fans the world over.’ The Man United manager has nothing but praise for CR7 upon his departure from the club, wishing him the best in the next stage of his professional career at Real Madrid.

Contrary to what everyone says about Ferguson not taking it well when stars leave the club, Cristiano’s farewell has been very positive. Sir Alex’s parting words are proof of that, and Ronaldo reaffirms it during his first outing with the press at the Bernabéu. ‘I have no problem speaking openly about my relationship with him. It always was and always will be very good. I spoke to him about it and everything is fine. Life has to go on … ’

Life goes on, but Ferguson has not forgotten his star player. ‘We knew we could never replace Ronaldo,’ he explains at the start of the 2009–10 season. ‘No matter what anyone says about the lad, for me he is the best footballer in the world. When you’ve had someone who is the best at what he does, it is no good trying to find someone to do the same job. And when you know you can’t replace someone or something, you look for a different way.’ He adds: ‘We will miss Ronaldo’s goals, that is obvious. But Berbatov will do well this year and Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen are both capable of getting twenty goals.’

The manager knows that Cristiano is a huge loss for the club, that it won’t be the same without the Portuguese number 7, but he has to defend his team. That’s his job, just as it’s his job to rise to the challenge of rebuilding a team that has lost a key player. He did it when Paul Ince went to Inter Milan and Mark Hughes left for Chelsea in 1995, when Eric Cantona hung up his boots in 1997, and when Beckham went to Madrid in 2003.

In any case, it’s completely normal to miss a player who has just left, especially one whom you have helped develop from talented youngster into world-class superstar. But even after some time, Sir Alex has not forgotten about Ronaldo. In March 2010, when things don’t seem to be going as well for Cristiano as he had hoped, his former manager tells the Daily Express: ‘Cristiano knows the value of Manchester United. That’s the thing. What the players have got here is protection. They come to training every day and there is nobody here to disturb them. I don’t think Real Madrid is an easy club to play for. There is a circus attached to it. There are often loads of fans and an intensive media always filming them.’

He almost seems to open the door for Ronaldo to return.

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