Sport
Ronaldo embracing celebrity life, perfect for United return
Ronaldo embracing celebrity life, perfect for United return . Cristiano Ronaldo has always transcended the gap between footballer and celebrity. Even as a teenager, the Portuguese sensation’s blonde-dipped hair and penchant for fanciness highlighted him as someone to take notice of. He’s a man who, after football, will remain in the public eye.
Ronaldo’s career achievements only serve to reaffirm the almost religious fandom he now receives. CR7 is used to being in the public eye and having his personal life readily covered by the press, but we’re now beginning to see Ronaldo embrace the popularity of being famous outside of football. At 30 years old he is putting a contingency plan in place.
This is best underlined by his recent promotional tour for the film aptly named ‘Ronaldo.’ CR7 was everywhere, delivering interview after interview, soundbite after soundbite and (hopefully for him) sale after sale. While this is an important step for Ronaldo’s post-football career, one has to question his current focus on the pitch. This questioning becomes more intense when viewing Ronaldo’s performance during the 4-0 Clasico loss to Barcelona on Saturday.
Luis Enrique’s men put on an excellent display at the Bernabeu; one reminiscent of when Pep Guardiola was in charge. Barca passed the ball quickly, got numbers forward and played with a surprising amount of freedom. While Neymar, Luis Suarez (x2) and Andres Iniesta celebrated their goals, Ronaldo remained upfield seemingly wondering whether his movie will get a Blu-Ray release.
He failed to positively impact the match at all, most notably by choosing against completing his defensive duties. Rafa Benitez is famed for setting his team up cautiously, favouring solidarity over swashbuckling attacking play, but everyone should muck in against Barcelona. Ronaldo, like many times this season, failed to exert himself when his team needed him.
Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has obviously noticed. He revealed his interest in bringing Ronaldo back to Old Trafford on Saturday, suggesting he hopes CR7 can spend his final playing days back in the red shirt. LvG and chief executive Ed Woodward are looking for a superstar player (highlighted by ongoing links to Neymar and last year’s signing of Angel Di Maria), and Ronaldo’s reappearance would rank as arguably the biggest return story in the history of football.
The Red Devils have become a marketing beast, something they share in common with their former player. Madrid’s ‘Galacticos’ model is perhaps the inspiration for United’s project, the kind which places an importance on world-class footballing ability and a celebrity status. Both increase the club’s marketability to a younger generation which doesn’t have the emotional attachment to David Beckham, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes.
Beckham was bought to fulfil a similar function in the Spanish capital. United now need the same boost to their brand. As Ronaldo enters the world of sharp suits, talk show interviews and reminiscing about his greatness on the pitch, it makes complete sense that his final footballing chapter will finally see him agree a long-awaited return to the club which catapulted him toward stardom in the first place.
