In addition to his supreme talent for scoring goals, Cristiano Ronaldo has a special knack for rubbing people up the wrong way with a collection of gestures, poses, overreactions and public displays of self-adulation. This has won him a number of detractors who, repelled by his antics, have been quick to snub his remarkable achievements. At least that was the case – until recently.
Urged by the sheer power and consistency of his prolific numbers, Ronaldo’s critics have been compelled to scurry back and take a closer look at the inner workings of the insatiable beast that lies within him. And this time, despite confirming their initial impressions regarding certain off-putting mannerisms, many of them have reconsidered their position and overcome their aversion to the Portuguese star.
Apparently, there may be something to learn from Ronaldo – the beast, not just the footballer – after all. In the wake of his third Ballon d’Or triumph, Ronaldo has been widely commended for his strength of character, having clawed his way back to the football summit last year after losing four consecutive editions and, not satisfied, re-emerging at the top again this year.
Barney Ronay of The Guardian was right on the mark when he wrote that “the most telling part…is that it comes six years after his first (Ballon d’Or)…. Nobody has ever (done it before), let alone having if anything improved as a player in the meantime.”
The last sentence carries additional significance when you consider that the Portuguese forward turns 30 in February and, far from showing signs of slowing down, continues to improve year after year. Anyone listening to an interview he gave earlier this week would have guessed it was a 19-year-old amateur aspiring to reach the next level: "At this moment, I’m working on improving my left foot, my acceleration and my free-kicks.”
It speaks volumes for Cristiano Ronaldo that his Coach at Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti, might in fact be his greatest fan. Lately the Italian can’t seem to stop praising his star pupil. After thoroughly complimenting his natural physique and professionalism in one of his many passionate declarations, he concluded, “(Cristiano) has such a desire to improve that he is very receptive of my observations and tactical decisions. In fact I’d say he asks for them. It’s a true honour to manage a man of such character.”
There is abundant evidence to suggest Cristiano Ronaldo’s likeability and popularity among teammates and those who know him well. Enough evidence in fact to prompt a re-examination of his so-called character flaws under more favourable lighting.
From this more constructive perspective, we can appreciate that even the child-like tantrums he displays on the rare occasions when he misses a clear goal opportunity acquire a desirable quality if we are to be pragmatic. After all, it must be reassuring for Real Madrid fans to know that no one will be more frustrated by a missed goal opportunity – or infuriated in Ronaldo’s case – than the very guy who’s assigned the mission of scoring them.
If Cristiano is prone to display such fits of passion, it is probably because he has worked harder and wants to win more than anyone else. And if this doesn’t justify certain attitudes, such as openly scorning his teammate Gareth Bale when he doesn’t get a pass, these gestures assume their due place at the back of the line when compared in significance to what the Portuguese star contributes thanks to this very drive.
For those of us who didn’t quite get this at first, there is still time to regroup. And if we can agree momentarily that there is more to Cristiano Ronaldo than meets the eye, how then can we assimilate that someone with such admirable qualities has such trivial imperfections blown so out of proportion?
Enter Lionel Messi. In an era dominated by the CR7-Messi duopoly, it is safe to say that the anti-Ronaldo epidemic generated by trivial superficialities has been aggravated by the endless comparisons with the mild-mannered Argentine, who many would have sworn could walk on water before having his celestial aura tainted by a recent period of sub-par performances and trouble with the Spanish treasury.
This antagonistic scenario provides the perfect backdrop for the all-too-common phenomenon that takes place when football fans are pressed to defend their champions: forced to pit one against the other, the objective is to undermine the feats of your foe and deny him any merit as a means of glorifying your beloved hero.
In this scrappy battle, Cristiano’s “misunderstood” mannerisms provide easy ammunition for the Messi cavalry. And riding on the back of four straight Ballon d’Or awards with his academic demeanour, there was little chance the Argentine would be on the losing side.
But the tables have turned for the time being. Whereas previously the Messi crowd could shrug off Ronaldo’s prolific statistics with little effort, confidently pointing to their own little maestro’s outrageous output and superior collection of trophies and individual awards, the latest developments seem to have brought the Argentine closer to Earth and subdued the anti-Ronaldo impetus.
Finally able to see past the dreaded gestures and poses of their Portuguese foe, lifelong critics have stumbled upon the substance that lies within him, at last recognizing his magnitude. Even in Barcelona, many now wish Messi would show the same ambition as the Portuguese star.
Relishing this new landscape, Ronaldo took the opportunity to conclude his latest Ballon d’Or acceptance speech by declaring open war: “I hope not to slow down from now on and I'm counting on catching up with Messi already next year. It's not something that takes my sleep away, but it's my ambition to become the best football player of all time.”
The Argentine appears to have heard the message loud and clear, reacting immediately with spectacular displays against Atletico Madrid and Deportivo La Coruna. With Messi in the unfamiliar role of underdog and Ronaldo no longer the villain, 2015 may bring us the most exciting episode yet of this never-ending saga.
