Real Madrid’s aging and increasingly poor Brazilian left back Roberto Carlos seems to still believe that Real Madrid are the club on top of the world, despite the club not actually being on top of the world for about five years now.
When asked about whether Cristiano Ronaldo should leave Manchester United and the Premiership for Madrid and La Liga, he said:
“Now he is one of the five best in the world, but if he was to play for Real Madrid he’d become number one.
“This is where the best football is played, the games in Spain are shown worldwide on television and he will improve the most here. To be the best he must sign for Madrid.
“To pay £50 million for Ronaldo is the right thing, because he is worth the trouble.”
The quote may come from the ever-reliable Tribal Football, who at least usually cite a source but failed to do so this time, but the message does echo that of those who feel there are bigger stages for the Portugese winger. We don’t quite understand it in the current football climate given that Real are still very much a team in turmoil/transition with no sign stability in the near future. Players like Figo and Zidane may have moved to the club and experienced a boost to their profile and reputation, but the number of superstars who have stagnated or experienced the opposite effect still greatly outweighs the successes.
We suppose the club equivalent of “Form is temporary, class is permanent” might apply here, but we hate that phrase. Because it’s dumb.