Hubris they say happens when the gods take vengeance on an individual for his arrogance and presumption of greatness. For many who don’t like Cristiano Ronaldo (who is a direct rival with Messi), they have been waiting for the gods to strike and bring this self-obsessed egomaniac come crashing back to earth. However, like an impenetrable titan immune to the varies and irk of both man and the gods, Ronaldo seems to find a way to remain relevant and indeed stay at the top of the game and stay better than most footballers (perhaps except Messi) irrespective of age. His consistency and continued dominance has remained a source of annoyance for his most staunch critics and its not hard to see why, humility is not something associated with the Real Madrid star:
“I’ve never seen anyone better than me. I have always thought that. No footballer can do the things I can. There’s no player more complete than me. I play well with both feet, I’m quick, powerful, good with the head, I score goals, I make assists. There are guys who prefer Neymar or Messi. But I tell you: there’s no one more complete than me.”
The above quote was from an interview after the Portugal captain won his fifth Ballon d’Or in 2017. The not so subtle reference and claims of superiority over the likes of Neymar and Messi tells a lot about how he views himself. Indeed, many have opined that Messi is a far better natural talent than Ronaldo, that may be true, however, Ronaldo didn’t get to where he his by just sitting pretty and watch the goals and the cash just flow. He is reputed to be one of the most hard working footballers in the game.
At the Real Madrid training ground, the former Manchester United star is usually the first to arrive and the last to leave, he puts in extra shift in training and some of his teammates have describe him as football obsessed.
Also, arrogance and eccentric behaviours is generally a defining factor of highly competitive and success drunk athletes, Ronaldo alludes to this himself:
“It’s not just a result of the work I do in the gym, like some people think. It’s the sum of many things. Legends like Floyd Mayweather [Jr.] and LeBron James don’t get to their perfect level by chance. Many factors coincide. To be at the top and to stay there, you have to have more talent than the others.”
No matter what you think of him, arrogant, confident, self-obsessed or corky but one thing we all agree on is that Ronaldo is indeed phenomenal.
No comments:
Post a Comment