World Soccer Presents - Rise of Ronaldo (2022)

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Hecan emulatePacoGento as a

six-timewinnerof theEuropeanCup/

ChampionsLeagueifJuventuscapture

thetrophy andhewill join Clarence

Seedorf as theonlyotherplayerto

triumphwiththreedifferentclubs.

ShouldRonaldoendthecampaign

astop goalscorerinSerieA he would

becomethe first playerto achievethat

featinthreemajorEuropeanleagues.

Hisisthemostcompelling narrative

ofthe 2 01 8- 19 seasoninEuropean

clubfootball,evenmoresothanthe

rejuvenationofBorussiaDortmund

orthe surgeofLiverpool.

Juventushead coach Massimiliano

Allegrimusthavebeenconcerned that

theacquisitionofRonaldo,whichwas

alwaysgoingtobea roaringcommercial

andcorporate success,mightdestabilise

analreadypowerfulteam.

Instead,theyhaveimproved,and

Allegri’s verdictofthePortugueseis

exultant,saying:“Everyday he makes

usa better team,andhisconcentration

andcommitmentis 10 0 percent.He

makesa difference.”

Meanwhile,Messiisstill scoring for

T

heinsistentand

questionofthep

inwhichwehave

towatchtwooftheall-time

greats playinginthesameera and

often head-to-head,is:whichone

doyou thinkisthe best?

I have alwaysfavouredLionelMessi

overCristianoRonaldo.Bewitchingskill

overblindingpowerhasbeenthe main

reason,althougha milderegoand

fewer theatricalshavealsobeena

factor. Butnow I am notsosure.

NowI am leaningthe otherway.

A significantelementhasbeenadded

tothe equation– thecompellingway

thatRonaldohasenergisedSerieA

followinghisswitchtoJuventusin

thesummer aftersomanyyears

inSpainatRealMadrid.

Itwas a mightygamblefora

33-year-oldwithsuchillustrious

success.Itisnevereasytochange

clubs,andthe intensityoffocusand

pressure on himinItalyissomething

tobehold.Hispicture is everywherein

a landwherefootballis a religionthatis

discussed in cafesoverbreakfastand

withvinoatlunchanddinner.

Itisnever easytoadapttonew

team-matesand newtactics;not

leastat a clubwhosedreamsyou

shatteredonlya fewmonthsearlier

ina controversialChampionsLeague

semi-finalshowdown.ButRonaldo

hassucceededbrilliantlyonthe pitch,

evenwhilefacingmajortroubles offit.

TheegoofCR7 is there,ofcourse,

buthehasembracedthe collective

inTurin.Ifthere wasa feelinghehad

becomesomethingofa destructive,

domineeringpresenceatthe Bernabeu,

thatiscertainlynot thecaseinItaly.

Hewas thetopgoalscorerinSerieA

atthe halfwaystageofthe seasonwith

14 strikes,breakinga clubrecordset

funatBarcelona,stilljinkingand

weavingandtakingthebreath away.

Buthe is stillin hiscomfortzone.Messi

hasneverplayed fora clubotherthan

Barca – and thequestionthathasalways

lingeredinthe airisnow more profound

andpertinentthanever:couldhe

triumph elsewhere?

Could he do whatDiegoMaradona

didandinspire a clublike Napolitoa

leaguetitle?Couldhecometothe

Premier Leagueanddosomething

similarfor TottenhamHotspurwith

theirbrilliantArgentinianmanager

MauricioPochettino?

Manyofthe otherall-timegreats

haveproved themselvesatmore than

oneclub.JohanCruyffdidsoatAjax

andBarcelona.For FerencPuskasit

wasHonvedandRealMadrid.Zinedine

Zidanewas a superstaratJuventusand

RealMadrid. Theforgotten greatJuan

AlbertoSchiaffinowas a legend at

PenarolandMilan.

Isn’tittimeforMessitodothe same?

Totakea riskastheyalldid?Totake

onthe challengethatmightactually

invigorate hisfootballcareerandcement

a legacyas thegreatestof alltime?

Thereis nothingleft forhimtoprove

atBarcelona, butitseemstomethere is

a sensethatsomethingtrulyprecious

ismissingfromhisfootballstory.

Comfortzone...could

Messidoitinanother

leaguelikeRonaldo?

RISEOFRONALDO 79

Ronald

Messi: 2019

Words:JimHolden