Ronaldo misses penalty: Let the man cry!

Opinion

What would you like? Blind contempt or unconditional adoration? Few figures divide opinion as much as Cristiano Ronaldo, perhaps the most famous person on the planet. For some, he is a shining light. An icon on and off the pitch. For others, he is commerce personified, the symbol of the sale of the soul of football.

Because complaining (at least on the internet) is louder than love, it seemed these days as if the anti-crowd had only been waiting for CR7 to fail. For him to stumble over the arrogance he has cultivated for years, for him to burn out. When Ronaldo, the second, last and best of his name, misses a potentially decisive penalty in the round of 16 of the European Championship, they see it as the just revenge of the good old football god. That the loser is so visibly aware of his failure that he sheds bitter tears? A feast for the eyes for all the digital gawkers who, drooling over their smartphones, want to see heroes die.

This malicious glee, although so predictable, is incredibly hypocritical. Let the man, not the legend, cry!

Expiration date passed: Ronaldo is the pensioner he doesn’t want to be

Of course, Ronaldo himself has brought this resentment on. Because he, the supposedly infallible one, has recently had to deal with an unusual term: modesty. That is exactly what his tournament performance so far has been – very modest. As impressive as the 39-year-old’s physique is, the man has grown old and apparently does not want to admit it. In the past, the knees of the defensive walls would shake when CR7 went into his infamous, wide-legged position before a free kick. Today, he looks more like a pensioner standing in a student club, swinging his stiff hips to beats that are completely unfamiliar to him.

He distorts the Portuguese game with his need for sporting recognition. He, the living legend, has such a gravitational pull that the real stars of the ensemble, such as Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, cannot help but revolve around him. He should be a beacon of guidance, not a sun to burn. But he is no longer used to being subordinate. It is also not helpful that even national coach Roberto Martínez has long been one of the yes-men and publicly throws himself in the dust before Ronaldo at every opportunity.

Big gestures, worthy of a legend

CR7 is a brand, not a person. But there is a person behind the PR facade. And he is allowed to cry when it hurts. And let’s be honest: who can say that they are still giving 100 percent just before the end of their career? Ronaldo gives 110 percent. Even if that is no longer enough.

And yet the missed penalty was like a bombshell. As if something had broken inside him at that moment. It was clear to see that he wanted to hold back his tears, but he couldn’t. Suddenly there was a man who saw his legacy crumbling, for which he had repeatedly pushed himself to the limit and beyond. The way he stood in the circle of his boys after the final whistle of the 90 minutes, who patted their captain and childhood idol on the back and encouraged him – that was great. An image that makes you just love football.

The fact that Ronaldo was the first to step up to the penalty spot without hesitation in the penalty shootout that followed had nothing to do with false ambition – it was worthy of a true leader. When he raised his hands apologetically, even humbly, towards the fans after the penalty was scored this time, he demonstrated modesty again. This time, however, in the best sense.

We really hope that he can keep this feeling that he can leave CR7 behind and one day just be Cristiano. He deserves it.