Life is a Game…

Now that the Ronaldo to Real saga has ended, let us look into the consequences of the deal. ManU would be thanking their stars for getting astronomical cash for a player they captured for €12 million. But will he really shine in Madrid?

Ronaldo was at his magical best in the 07-08 season when he scored 42 goals. This helped ManU to win the Premier League as well as the Champions league. In the next season, though he scored 21 goals, he was considered a flop. Such was the expectation that surrounded him in England. When he wears the Real Madrid shirt, every eye’d be on him and he will be expected to convert his transfer fee into goals. And moreover, the Spanish Media’l be waiting to pounce on him and blow up even the trivial issues.

The pointers suggest that Ronaldo has all it needs to succeed in the La Liga. If he could cope up with the physical demands of the EPL, then he can adapt in every league in the world. Since the La Liga don’t have physical approach towards the game, he may find it easier to score. With a player of Kaka’s calibre alongside him, he can unlock any defence in the world. But the only problem is his ego. He may throw tantrums if things are not going his way. Madrid is a place where all the high profile stars co-exist and he may find it difficult to gel with them. And the Madrid nightlife is highly contagious and if he is not careful, he may find himself in the Page 3 of the Spanish dailies.

Ronaldo can really be a smash hit in Madrid but there is only one who can stop that- it’s Ronaldo himself!

In the late 80’s and the early 90’s, Italian sides and Serie A had been dominating the world football. The UEFA Champions’ league trophy never moved out of Italy and it was a dream for every player to play for AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus or Roma. Italy was the favourite destination for most players and the quality of Serie A in turn skyrocketed.

Come Calciopoli scandal in 2006 and the image of Italian football was shred into pieces. The match fixing allegations led to Juventus being relegated to Serie A and they were stripped off two titles. Many players moved out of Italy and Italy was no longer captivating. Subsequently, Serie A became boring with the standard of play dropping to alarming levels. England and Spain continued to pour in some unbelievable money and soon Italian Serie A was destined to older players and the Brazilians.

But Kaka was the saving grace till last season. The FIFA 2007 player of the year is hailed as a bio-engineering marvel that incorporated every fine point of football. He was playing for AC Milan and he reiterated his commitment to the Milanese club every week. So, just like EPL had Ronaldo, La Liga had(s) Messi, Serie A had Kaka.

Now that he’s in Madrid for a record 60 million Euros, a new question arises. Who can replace Kaka in Serie A? Sadly, the answer is NONE. Not even a single player in Serie A has technical skills and pace comparable to that of Kaka. And no player in the other leagues is willing to go to Serie A, for they know that they can get more fame and money, if they play in England or Spain.

The tables will turn and Serie A may turn attractive in the future but as of now, Serie A is indeed in dire straits. And only if the quality of play and the standard of refereeing are improved, Italy can reach the dizzy heights of 90’s.

Back in the early 1990s, Arsenal Football club was deemed the most boring side in the English Premier League. With their stringent defence and the notorious Offside traps, they were looked down with scorn. But George Graham didn’t mind and continued with his policies.

In 1996, Arsenal signed a relatively unknown manager named Arsene Wenger from Japan. The Frenchman was an immediate super-hit. He introduced strict diet control and fitness programmes for the players. He changed the style of play to an attractive passing football – albeit weakening the defence. The full backs were encouraged to bombard forward and more young players were inducted into the side. He went on to win a double in 1998 with Sky Sports hailing that “If you want to get your money worth, watch Arsenal”. And in 1999 Wenger pulled off a masterstroke when he signed Thierry Henry, who would then go on to become the club’s all time top goal scorer.

Though heavily criticized for his over indulgence on the youth, Arsenal continued to thrive due to his penchant for the young talents. He’s also known for his miserly spending in the transfer market. He never goes for big money signing and in his words, “Buying a star player is killing the youth”. Only because of his efficient man management, despite the limited resources, Arsenal are constantly vying for the top honours. Recently, Arsenal have moved into a new stadium and a state-of-art training ground is also constructed.

Many people have a doubt whether Wenger’s first name Arsene has anything to do with Arsenal. No, it is a strange coincidence and it can be said that Arsenal and Arsene are inseparable and this marriage is made in the heaven!

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