Real Madrid’s Director Jorge Valdano is complaining about the loss of his (very expensive) star Cristiano Ronaldo after an ankle injury. Valdano is NOW complaining that Ronaldo should never have played in Portugal’s qualifying match against Hungary over the weekend because he was not in condition to play. Well, I have some questions for Senor Valdano.
1) What does Cristiano’s contract say about his performance with his National Team? Do you have a clause in there stating that you can hold him back if he is injured? Do you have a clause stating that he cannot play for his national team? Do you have a clause stating that he cannot make a decision about whether he can play or not? Do you hold his “Power of Attorney” and decide these things for him? Just wondering…
2) Let’s say you just let him do whatever he wants, he’s a grown man, and you let him make his own decisions and you pay him once a month. Then, what’s the problem? He’s 24, he’s competitive…did you think he WASN’T going to play if he thought he could? I said Ronaldo wasn’t the greatest emotional leader, but I never said he was a slouch. This kid is a fighter…of course he would play.
3) Did you expect Portugal NOT to put in one of the Top 5 players in the whole world when he just HAPPENS to play for them? Really? You thought they’d say…”Well, you know, it’s just the World Cup and everything so we’ll let Cristiano sit this one out.” ARE YOU KIDDING!? They would have taken him off an operating table to play in this game. Is this really shocking to you?
4) Why are you complaining now? He was already hurt. Perhaps you should have come out in the media and said “I will be very disappointed if Cristiano plays the Portugal/Hungary qualifier because I don’t think he’s in the right condition to play.” Don’t you think you’d look like a million bucks right now if you had done that? Don’t you think Cristiano would look really stupid right now and you could get a rein on an overpaid (but great) player?
Real Madrid could have spun this thing to high heaven, made themselves look sensible, and made Ronaldo look like a child. This would have served everyone very well. They didn’t do ANY of this…and now they complain. I have no sympathy for Jorge Valdano or the Real Madrid organization.
Gentlemen, in the future, plan better.
Peace.
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