A Manchester United yet CR7 fan’s nightmare

It was 1999 and I was a 10 year old boy. The world everywhere seemed more bothered about a certain Y2K bug. But to me, the question uppermost in my mind was the result of the UEFA Champions league that summer. I waited long, in hope of waking up one fine day to read about my red army travel to Spain and complete a laudable session capturing a treble. As of then, my support wasn’t because of the knowledge of the game, but purely in awe, of the fame of a handsome young protégé at Old Trafford in the No. 10 jersey called ‘David Beckham.’

With each passing day of the season, my dream seemed to take a better shape. Until, on May 26^th ‘99, my hero Beckham made sure it materialized. In the dying moments of a game which seemed far beyond them the entire match, so much so that Bayern fans had already lit some flares in celebration, this fashion icon produced his trademark curling magic corner to assist in the winning goal, helping capture that elusive Championship trophy in his basket.

A dramatic colorful night that will remain etched in the minds of all United’s fans forever but personally a romantic night that started my love affair with this club.

It was then that I set out to understand better the nuances of this spectacle I long brushed aside as a run-with-the-ball game.

Since that night, I’ve been proud to stand by a side that’s unarguably the hottest property in England, promising a healthy mix of style and substance. I am a die-hard fan who has got the opportunity to celebrate 8 Premier League titles, 4 FA cups, 3 League cups, 5 FA Charity Shields, 2 UEFA Championship League crowns, 1 Intercontinental cup, and 1 FIFA Club World Cup. If this was a brief 12 year summary of our partnership, you could well imagine the history this club boasted of before I’d come!

But more than the records, in my brief stint, it’s been the joy of proudly owning phenomenal talents like Beckham, Giggs, Ronaldo, Rooney and the latest recruit, RVP.

However, it’s not been always one bright summer day as a fan at Old Trafford. There have been those trying times and those dark days when the stars have faded away into the sunset or walked off into their new homes as when Beckham left in ‘03 or Ronaldo in ’09. But the eternal hope for this enigma has been a constant pillar that is supporting this monument – a knighted Sir Alex who has unearthed time and again world feared dynamites.

Among the many celebrated warriors at FC Man Utd, for varied reasons, my favorite hero was CR7. And therefore, when he left for his dream team in ’09, I was quite shattered.

I’ve always been indebted to Man Utd for shaping this protégé, but probably at that time turned a little disloyal. For, my heart was now divided between two homes. One that stuck on with this old Juliet of memories and the other that went in search of a new romance to Real Madrid with the game’s Romeo.

Since his arrival, the last 3 years have been phenomenal for both the clubs in many ways, and with that I’ve had double the reasons to smile. I now have twice the amount of victories to celebrate. It’s like a never-before-experienced thrill of courting two seducing proud mistresses at once!

And therein lay all the trouble. For it’s now time for this uncomfortable date. A risky affair involving confronting both ladies on one eventful evening!

To whom does our support go when the two face off on one night?

As CR7 loyalists, it’s easy to scream along with Real for his triumph, until you look around to find your own cheerful family across, sitting in the stands vociferously shouting for Man Utd. Your heart begs to stick with your hero, while your mind argues to show some respect to the home. You don’t want to see either of them lose and yet desire to see both succeed.

One only needs to browse through the books of history to find a lovely bond between the two clubs, to find an intense ‘friendship’ that dates back to 1958. That year, when Real Madrid won the European Cup, they immediately desired to gift it to Manchester United who were unable to participate in the Competition after the Munich air tragedy. This application of Real Madrid was rejected but Real still dedicated their trophy to the legendary Busby Babes. Also, Real Madrid offered a holiday to all Manchester United players in Spain to help them recover from the psychological trauma. And to assist United’s recovery, Real played 5 friendlies in 5 consecutive years with Manchester United. They even offered their best players if needed like Puskas and Di Stefano for one year on loan, although it never took shape because of the English Federation rules.

If you are still confused, it’s as simple as ‘Why would Ronaldo leave a family at Manchester United unless he found a home at Real Madrid that was as good if not better?’

“Probably when he moved out from a house where all were United, he knew he was going to a home that was Real!”

Either way, for once, I am forced to believe that a high-scoring draw would be a fair result. And finally, I’ve come to see that it certainly wasn’t meant to be a nightmare after all. Probably, just an extended family home-coming!