CRISTIANO RONALDO
I am today. If you want to love me that is nice, but if you
want to hate me that is fine – both emotions help me.
So the negative press and negative attention never
gets to you?
Like I said, if you get a bad crowd, it is nice to be
able to silence them. Love from the fans gives you
confidence, but hate from the fans gives you a purpose.
If somebody criticises you no matter what job you do,
you are going to want to prove them wrong.
Arsenal captain Cesc Fàbregas was quoted
as saying he’s glad you’re gone as you won
two titles for Manchester United single-handedly
– do you agree? Are you still the best player
in the world?
I think that it is disrespectful to the other Manchester
United players. Of course I like to think I played a big
part in that success, but it would not have happened
without all the other fantastic players United have.
I do my job and I do it very well, but I don’t play in
goal or in defence, so I could not have done it
on my own.
“Love from the fans gives you confidence, but hate
gives you a purpose. You want to prove them wrong”
Are you replaceable?
I am a one-off, but that does not mean Manchester
United will not buy world-class players. Sir Alex will
spend well on big names, I’m sure. He has lost big
players before, but has gone on to even more success.
For me they will still win the Premier League next year,
and I hope for a long time to come. Not many players in
80 80PERCENTOF
PER CENT OF
NEWCASTLE UNITED
You wouldn’t be able to
afford the whole of St James’ Park
(unless Mike Ashley
reduces his £100m price
tag, that is) but £80m will
get you the lion’s share
of the newly relegated
club. Almost an entire club
for the price of one player?
Seems like a good deal
that. Hold on… just think
about what precisely that
investment means –
52,000 disgruntled
the world could turn down Manchester United, and
I fully expect big names to arrive this summer.
Do you think you’re worth the £80m fee?
As a player, you do not get involved with the fee. It is up
to the two clubs to reach a price that they are both happy
with, and that is good business for both of them. No
Geordies turning up to watch
every week.
YOUR OWN
PRIVATE ISLAND
In October 2007, Ronde Island was
put on the market for £75m. The
largest privately owned island in
the Caribbean, it is over 2,000
acres in size and is, apparently,
completely untouched by the
hands of tourism. Instead of staring
aat Ronaldo’s face day-in, day-out,
the president of Real Madrid
could’ve been bathing his wrinkled
torso in a coral-filled canyon. Still,
no regrets…
ONE OF ROMAN
ABRAMOVICH’S YACHTS
OK, you can’t quite snap up his
most expensive one (that will
cost you around £360m) but
the Chelsea owner does have
a handful in the region of
£80m, though. For your cash,
you would get the usual array
of plush on-board swimming
pools and helicopter-
landing pads.
THE WORLD’S
MOST EXPENSIVE
PAINTING
Well, almost. ‘No. 5, 1948’
by b Jackson Pollock – the paintsplattered
artwork on which
John Squire based The Stone
Roses’ eponymous album
cover – reportedly sold for
nearly £90m in 2006. You
could always buy Van Gogh
or Renoir’s most expensive
pictures instead, though,
and still have a few bob left
to buy a lovely sparkly frame
from IKEA.
matter what the price is, when you play for a top side you
are under pressure to perform. The pressure does not
come from how much you are sold for, but from playing
for the most famous club in the world.
What’s the first big investment you’ll make with
your money?
I am not thinking about money, but I will need to buy
a place to live in Madrid. It is a very beautiful city and
is blessed with very good weather. Maybe I will look for
a place with a nice pool, but apart from that I just want
to get on with my football.
Do you think there’s a misconception that you’re
a prima donna?
Sometimes the press will paint you as they do and there
is nothing you can do about that. My friends and family
know what I am like and that is all that matters to me.
What’s the weirdest think you’re not allowed to do
because of your player’s insurance?
I would not say it is a weird thing, but say, for example,
when you go on holiday there are things you can’t do like
water sports which is quite annoying, but it is a small
price [to pay], really.
Do you ever dream of the quiet life?
Maybe one day, but when you transfer from Manchester
United to Real Madrid, you know your life is not going
to be that quiet!
SHORTLIST.COM
To see a selection of Ronaldo’s most
mind-blowing goals, go to ShortList.com
What else could you buy for £80m?
Got an unfeasibly large wad of cash burning a hole in your pocket? You can get a lot more than one man with that, you know…
32 / WWW.SHORTLIST.COM
The Geordie Army:
the wisest way to
blow your fortune?
This is one of Abramovich’s
more modest yachts (no, really)
Ronaldo helped steer Manchester
United towards victory in the
2008 Champions League Final
A BRAND NEW
MAYBACH 57 S FOR
EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR
If, like Posh Spice and clothes, you
hate being seen in the same thing
twice, you could always use the £80m
to buy a different luxury car for each
day of the year. At around £220,000,
On a footballers’
salary? Never fear
writing off a car again
the German-built Maybach 57 S is
perfect. Buy one, razz it around the
village at 170mph for a bit, dump it
somewhere, and the next day, head
back to Dave’s Discount Cars and
buy a completely new one.
PANEL WORDS: MARK PICKERING PHOTOGRAPHS: REX FEATURES, GETTY IMAGES, PA PHOTOS
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