Cristiano Ronaldo scores again – but is only the decal of a superstar

Opinion

Ronaldo was his old self for a few moments. After scoring his first goal against Al-Wahda FC, the 38-year-old performed his famous spin jump celebration, which ended with his arms spread a little. And the goal-scoring continued. Ronaldo netted three more times to complete Thursday’s 4-0 win for his new club Al-Nassr FC, which lifted them to the top of the Saudi Pro League.

The pictures from Saudi Arabia leave no doubt that Ronaldo enjoyed every goal just like in the good old days. But at the same time they seem strange because you know this Ronaldo from the days when he ruled the penalty areas of Europe. For almost 20 years he had celebrated goals and triumphs on the big stage. In the present, the vain superstar show behavior seems all the more like a sad imitation of days long gone.

Ronaldo needs the football and the goals

That’s not meant to sound dismissive. Ronaldo is not the first professional to sign a lucrative contract in his old age in a weaker league (probably the most lucrative in football history for Ronaldo with a reported 200 million euros). It is a common form of early retirement among professional footballers.

Also, he seems to continue to love football. Ronaldo was visibly happy after the four-goal win. He had the game ball specially signed by the match referee (“Can you sign it for me?”), also as a belated gift for his 38th birthday, which he celebrated on February 5.

Or maybe Ronaldo seemed happy (or relieved) because things weren’t going well at first. He remained goalless in the first two games and disappointed his backers, who showered him with millions to brighten up the Saudi league. The bitter year he had experienced before seemed to continue seamlessly. First he flew out of the starting line-up at Manchester United, then no big club in Europe wanted to sign him. At the World Cup in Qatar he ended up on the bench for the Portuguese national team.

The Saudi Pro League is not a classic operetta league

The engagement in Saudi Arabia beckoned as a consolation. And once there, Ronaldo may have realized that the Saudi Pro League is not a classic operetta league where it’s easy to shine. The level of football is not as bad as many in Europe would like to think. There are fans who take football very seriously and support their teams.

In the game before last, Al-Nassr just managed an arduous 2:2 against Al-Fateh. It was Ronaldo who equalized with a converted penalty in added time. He had previously complained theatrically about a whistle after being flagged for offside. He had miserably missed a great scoring opportunity by thrashing the ball over the goal from ten yards free and producing an embarrassing swallow. He had to listen to the opposing fans chanting “Messi, Messi, Messi” loudly. In that sense, it’s a bit like it used to be. But only almost.