Born On The 6th Of July: The Cristiano Ronaldo Virus

There was a "mob" of 75,000 at a place that resembled more a cemetery than a football stadium on May 2,2009, this time to get infected with a virus. They have had the Figo virus, the Zidane virus, the Ronaldo virus, the Owen virus and the Robinho virus. Recently they had also been infected with the Kaka virus and now it was their turn to get infected with the virus, the CR9 virus, the virus which was never going to be sold to the "mob".

They came in droves, almost insanely feeling honoured to be infected with the most lethal of virus in football these days. Thousands by thousands- and not one by one- the Bernabeu filled up and soon there were 75,000 of them, all part of the infamous "mob". They came in their Real Madrid kit with their scarves and all, doing their nutter befitting the "mob" that is recognized as the biggest club in the world, all eager to welcome another cheat, another world class diver, another overrated player, another Ballon d’Or winner, another Manchester United legend, another FIFA World Player of the Year, another of their own.

What they saw wasn't vintage Cristiano Ronaldo as the FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d'Or winner failed to perform the wonted keepy-uppie and also didn't look that pristine in the pristine white of Real Madrid - he looked more flamboyant in Manchester United's red. But they didn't care; after all, when you have the player whom half the world believes to be the world's best (the other half, including this columnist, believes that honour goes to Lionel Messi), the player who led the biggest club of England to a domestic and European double in 2007-2008, the player whose departure from the Premier League has led many to spell doomsday for the most popular league in the world, you don't really care about his one or two minutes of ineptitude, do you? Flawed genius is more adored than perfect beauty.

Cristiano Ronaldo will always continue to divide people and divide opinions. A world-class footballer or a world-class diver? A genius or another decent talent developed under the tutelage of Sir Alex Ferguson? A deserved Ballon d'Or winner or an overrated smart convincer of a player? A cheat or a victim? Gets too much protection from the referees or gets no protection at all? Worth €93 million or worth €93?

Ronaldo is the footballing version of Lex Luther, only with a difference. He has the same intelligence, the same quiet and perhaps absurd arrogance and even the same vain self-glorification and self-gratification absurdity, but unlike the 'great' criminal mastermind uses all those traits constructively. For his team. For himself.

That Cristiano Ronaldo would succeed in the Spanish Primera Division goes without saying and if anything, he will become an even better player at the Bernabeu. At 24 he has already established himself as one of the best five footballers in the world and has won everything he possibly can in club football. True, he has been on top of his game for 'only' three seasons and might struggle to repeat his feat in the 2007-2008 season when he scored an embarrassingly cryptic 42 goals and led United to the domestic and European double, but Ronaldo is still three or four years away from his peak. Which he shall attain in Madrid, which in turn is only going to please the Madrid supporters.

Ronaldo's arrival at the Bernabeu is a symbol of the resurrection of the glory days. Admitted, Kaka is a more graceful and respected player off the pitch, a global icon and over the course of the season could turn out to be the more effective one, but it is Ronaldo who gives the beleaguered Madrid supporters still haunted by that 6-2 hammering by archrivals FC Barcelona the license to dream and dream Champions League conquest. There's no arguing that Lionel Messi is the world’s finest player at the moment and by the time he turns 24 he could become a legend, but now Madrid have their very own answer to Barcelona’s Messi: Cristiano Ronaldo.

He hasn't got the humility of Superman or the loyalty of Spiderman; he has got no He-Man-esque strength and has no old bones to pick like Darkman. He is not an opportunistic crook like Hollow Man and has no partner like Batman. He is his own man; he is CR9 - the virus that the club with the world's best defence that got blown away by the world's best team in the biggest game of the European season in 2008-2009 sold to the "mob". For €93 million. A world record.

Subhankar Mondal