For the neutral football fan, it seems it’s increasingly hard not to dislike Cristiano Ronaldo. Just witness the abuse he receives at virtually every stadium in Spain apart from Real Madrid’s Bernabéu. There are indeed some compelling motives to feel this way. How about his huffy indignation when a teammate fails to pass him the ball when he is in space, or those carefully rehearsed poses he strikes after scoring (or even after missing). Or the reckless use of hair gel. Or, rather more damningly, an insistence on putting his own glory ahead of that of his team (such as when he refused to celebrate a Karim Benzema goal last season, after the Frenchman followed up to sweep in Ronaldo’s own … [Read more...] about What, another reason to hate Cristiano Ronaldo?
Sergio Aguero
The red-and-white underdog roars
It’s not easy being an Atlético Madrid fan. There’s the administrative and boardroom chaos, the unbalanced books and the revolving door of coaches, each hailed as a saviour before being dismissed as a false prophet. There are the financial scandals from the years when Jesús Gil was president, leading to his arrest in 2000 for embezzling his own club. And then there is the ultra hooligan group, among the most violent and xenophobic fans in Europe. And that’s before you get to the football itself. Atlético has one of Spain’s most impressive trophy cabinets: nine league titles, nine Copa del Rey titles and the European Cup-Winners’ Cup. This is a European giant, albeit one which has been … [Read more...] about The red-and-white underdog roars