Ronaldo in MJ Tribute

Tuesday, 07 July 09, 06:00 AM · Comments(1)

by Joe Walton

On March 9, Michael Jackson was in London announcing that he would be playing 50 gigs in London. The assembled crowd of morons screamed as he told them the news that they already knew. Last night, Cristiano Ronaldo was 'unveiled' as a Real Madrid player in front of a near-capacity Bernabeu. At one point crazed fans ran towards their new hero of 1 hour prompting Ronaldo to be hurried out of the ground by Police accompanied by an angelic sound track.

One can draw comparisons between the two. They are both undoubtedly global stars with a truly world-wide fan base, they are both self-styled fashion icons, they have both been linked with some of the world's most glamourous women and, if you believe the reports of Jackson's autopsy, they are both hairless from the neck down. But there is one key difference. Ronaldo is one of the best practitioners of a team sport, whereas Michael Jackson was a solo star.

If a record label was to sign up the biggest musicians in the world it would make them the best record label in the world. This isn't true of football clubs. A club with the biggest names in football does not necessarily make them the best team. Although the attendance at the Bernabeu yesterday was boosted because school is out for summer holidays in Spain, the fact that it was world news needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. As good a player and as marketable as Ronaldo is, he still has to fit into a team. Teams that win things are good at football, not at events organising.

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