Football Special Report: European football's intricate circles!
From Manchester to Madrid and then to Milan, the UEFA Champions League continues to light up Europe in its own special way of going around in circles!
On Tuesday night, the Spanish city of Madrid was in frenzy. AC Milan were in town for a much anticipated UEFA Champions League clash with Real Madrid. As the ground staff at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium were putting the final touches, three hours before the
battle of two of the most successful clubs in European football history, the focus suddenly shifted to England -- and Manchester in particular.
At Old Trafford, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was in a state of shock as he gave out the news that star striker Wayne Rooney wanted to leave the club at a press-conference on the eve of their Champions League match against Turkish champions Bursaspor.
Twenty four hours earlier, Real coach, Jose Mourinho had said that the United gaffer would persuade Rooney to stay but now it was clear that he could not. Now as his team were preparing to face Milan, Mourinho had to concentrate on the task at hand.
Rooney's former United teammate, Cristiano Ronaldo shrugged off the news that had emanated from Manchester to lead nine-time European Cup winners Real to victory against the six-time winners Milan. Ronaldo became the third Manchester United player in the last
seven years to join Real after his record 80 million pound move last summer joining David Beckham and Ruud Van Nistelrooy in jumping ship.
While Beckham and Van Nistelrooy joined the Spanish heavyweights after a row with Ferguson, Ronaldo had always maintained that Real was his dream club. And Rooney could well join that list in a classic case of history repeating itself. Beckham was hit by a
flying shoe in the dressing room which was apparently launched by Ferguson in 2003 and that resulted in the England midfielder joining Real. Rooney's falling out with Ferguson, meanwhile, is still unknown. In his statement released prior to United's match
against Bursaspor, Rooney said that he wanted to leave because the club "was not willing to invest in quality players".Damage limitation maybe!
Back at the Bernabeu, Ronaldinho was back. A former Barcelona player, Ronaldinho's two-goal blitz for the Catalans almost four years ago against Real had seen him get a standing ovation from the Madrid faithful. This time, though, it was all about Mourinho's
Madrid. As the former World Player of the Year trudged off the pitch after being substituted, a former nemesis who gave him a hug -- Jose Mourinho.
During his Barcelona days, the Brazilian had been a thorn in Mourinho's Champions League ambitions. Mourinho was at that time at Chelsea and in one of his most memorable Champions League performance Ronaldinho scored a goal ripping the through the heart of
the Londoners' defence to oust them en route to Barca's Champions League glory in 2006. This time though it was Mourinho's turn. But the way in which Ronaldinho and Mourinho met, showed the mutual respect that the two had for each other.
And maybe in the course of that three-second meeting, one great manager might have said to one great player, "This time its my turn to win!”
While Mourinho was basking in his moment of glory, one of his players went to console the Milan players -- Kaka. The former Rossoneri star has failed to settle at the Madrid club ever since his move to the Bernabeu and went to the Milan dressing room to meet
his former teammates. An indication that his heart might still be at Milan!
The decision to leaving a club where you grew as a player is always a difficult one. Not so for Rooney, though!
He spelt out his decision to leave a club which he joined as a teenager from Everton in 2004 an hour before United were to face Bursaspor. A subdued Old Trafford in the wake of that decision welcomed the players onto the pitch and just about 24 hours after
Ronaldo had scored at the Bernabeu, his compatriot and understudy at United scored.
Nani's goal was very much reminiscent to that which his idol Ronaldo used to score during his time at Old Trafford. In the backdrop, Ferguson would've been thinking of how wise it was of him to bring to United and whether recent signing Javier Hernandez would
be able to replace Rooney in the same way.
While Rooney seems to be peerless at present, Ferguson has seen players come and go at United during his 24 years at the United hot-seat. But the question remains whether at the age of 68, will Ferguson be able to nurture another Rooney.
Nevertheless, Europe's premier club competition has reached the halfway point of the Group stage and continues to fascinate with its own special way of going around in circles!
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