The Cristiano Ronaldo saga has been going on for who knows how long. In fact, it has become a real football soap opera, and a lot of people are divided in their opinion over who is the victim and who is the culprit in this sad but intriguing saga. The fact that it concerns probably the best footballer on the planet has led to people everywhere voicing their opinion and taking sides from heavyweights such as Sepp Blatter to the fans in local suburban parks. However, in all this analysis, a lot of facts are either missing or twisted to suit different purposes and agendas. I’ve decided to set the issue straight in this article.

To begin, a player’s commitment to a club is demonstrated by the contract they have signed with a club. In Ronaldo’s case, he signed a 5 year contract at the beginning of 2007 linking him to the club until at least 2012. The reason for the length of the contract was because the club considered him an important asset for the club’s future and hence if Ronaldo does not honour his contract, the club would end up losing. The only loser would be the club and the culprit would be none other than Ronaldo.

Second Fact. When the club purchases a player, they also purchase their rights to that player meaning that transfers are only negotiated between clubs. Now, this may seem unfair to the players, but the fact is that any player whose club acts against his wishes can protest and stop playing for the club forcing the club to bow to their demands.

Nevertheless, just because a player no longer wants for a club does not give him the right to break his contract. Signing a contract implies a commitment, a strong commitment, and this must be honoured. Unless the club has done something to harm the player, then yes, the player does have an argument to leave the club. But what harm has United done to Ronaldo? None. In fact, they’ve given him the world. Culprit: Ronaldo Victim: United

A final thing to mention is that Ronaldo doesn’t have a valid reason for wanting to leave the club that has given him so much over the years. In particular, he seems to have adapted well to life in England and Manchester, otherwise would he had been able to play as well as he has? Apart from getting boos from the crowds after the 2006 World Cup for his diving ability (or lack thereof), the fans have grown to love him and with it, he has revived United’s glory years. One then wonders, what is his reasoning for wanting to leave England?

There is no doubt that Ronaldo would not be the player he is today if it wasn’t for the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson and his decision to purchase as a youngster 5 years ago. Ronaldo should then be mindful of what the club has given him and should repay their faith in him all those years ago, but this doesn’t seem to be happening.

The 2 words that come to mind when thinking about this soap opera are loyalty and respect. In fact, the lack of this shown by Ronaldo to United is what shines through. Ok, so he’s won everything there is to win at United. That still does not justify the faith that the club has put in Ronaldo to keep bringing trophies. What was going through his head on the 13th of April when he signed that contract? Did he really think that he could break the contract whenever he wanted to since he was their highest profile player? Did he think he could do anything he wanted at any time?

The impact of Generation Y footballers is being felt throughout football. It is a very confident generation, often over-confident and hence accused of being arrogant. This kind of description fits Ronaldo pretty well. Hugely motivated by money and feeling that they can do whatever they want, is what has led to a lack of respect and loyalty towards clubs. It’s not just limited to Ronaldo, but he is main figure due to his position in the game.

This kind of attitude prevalent among young players has led to loyalty and respect being lost in football. Probably never to be seen again. Which is a shame because it means that the club and fans lose out. It’s only a win-win situation for the players themselves. But football is bigger than any player even those of the stature of Ronaldo. The spirit at clubs was born through both fan and player loyalty. Losing player loyalty would then lead to club spirit dying away. Such a thing can never be allowed to occur.