6
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Mourinho makes an executive decision.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The disastrous loss at Sevilla was the final straw. His job, at the end of the day, was to manage Real Madrid. It’s not his job to deal with his player’s personal drama; it’s the players’ jobs to leave all that shit at home. It’s also not his job to deal with the whims and “suggestions” of a temperamental club president. He can’t work like this, with a team that’s sort of half-divided and half-oblivious, picking sides in a quiet battle half of them don’t even know about.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">And besides, it’s his reputation that’s on the line every time Madrid steps out onto the pitch and steps off with another defeat.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">~*~
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">El Mister calls his team early to a closed practice, and as they arrive they’re ushered away from the field and into the team’s video review room. The team sits, fidgeting in their rows of chairs while the managers and trainers sit in front of the projector screen, waiting.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cristiano cringes as he walks in. He really has absolutely no desire to rewatch the match; he’s already been playing it over and over again in his head since he stepped off the pitch. He takes his seat near the back next to Pepe, who fist bumps him in greeting and shoots him a look of “I-know-what-you’re-thinking-and-I-agree”. Fábio trails in a few minutes after, finding the empty seat near Cris and slouching into it. Cris drops a hand onto the left back’s knee, runs his thumb over his kneecap in greeting. They trade glances, conspiratorial, before their attention is called to the front.
Mourinho sits on his stool wearing his usual training day tracksuit, notebook in hand. “You guys can relax,” he smirks, “we’re not here to watch the match again.” Several players let out a relieved breath. “We’re here to have a talk.” The room goes dead silent and Fábio can feel Cris’s hand tightening around his knee, sees him pull his bottom lip between his teeth.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“The way we played against Sevilla was unacceptable,” the Portuguese continues. “I know you heard my comments to the press, and I want to explain them to you. When I said ‘I have no team’, I meant, ‘this is not the team I know’. The team I know plays hard, fights for every ball, works together, and does not give up until the whistle. This team didn’t show up on Sunday.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The team shifts guiltily, very few players still meeting Mourinho’s eyes. The older man sighs. “I’m not blind, guys. I know that there have been a lot of things off the pitch that have been distracting some of you. Those of you who are distracted know who you are,” he adds, pointedly.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Half the room glances at Cristiano, a few at Gonzalo.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“I’m not here to point fingers or place blame. If anything, I should place the blame on myself. I shouldn’t have let it get to this point. As your coach, it’s my responsibility to nip these things in the bud before they can grow and infect the team. But yet here we sit, with only four points and Barça eight points ahead.” Heads drop, and a hiss of quiet disappointment rises from somewhere in the team.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The Portuguese continues, “Whoever’s fault it was, yours, mine, no one, it’s unacceptable. I’ve spoken to Florentino,” the manager’s eyes zero in on the back of the room, and he’s speaking directly to Cristiano and Fábio, “and he agrees that it’s time for a change. We can’t carry on the way we have been.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Fábio and Cristiano share a look, but don’t say a word. Fábio can barely let himself hope that he understands the meaning behind Mourinho’s words.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Mourinho looks back down at the rest of the team, “From now on things are different. The distractions have been dealt with, so I want to begin the season today. I want to see maximum effort, maximum dedication. I want to see my Madrid out here in practice, and out on the pitch on Tuesday. It’s the fucking Champions League, gentlemen.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">A few chuckles bubble up from the team, but the words are clear and everyone is nodding their head in agreement.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Good. Now that that’s settled, time to move on to the next thing.” Mourinho smiles wickedly.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Rui, roll the tape.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">~*~
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Cris.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cristiano whirls around and comes face to face with Gonzalo. The Argentine gestures with his head for Cris to go over to him. He follows him down a hallway away from their team. He stops once they’re out of earshot, and Cristiano holds his breath.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“OK, I was kind of an idiot,” Gonzalo starts, “and I only told Ángel because he pressured me.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">All the breath rushes out of Cristiano. “Ángel?! Are you serious?” Cristiano fumes, disbelieving. “Nothing was supposed to leave the room!”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“I know,” Gonzalo starts again, holding his hands out in a gesture meant to calm the Portuguese, “And I wasn’t going to say anything. But Ángel overheard Sergio and Álvaro saying something about you and Fábio, and he asked me about it. I wasn’t going to tell him, but he has his ways,” he answers sheepishly, looking apologetic.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cristiano looks at him, still unable to believe that the secret he and Fábio held closest to their hearts is being tossed around so carelessly. “Well,” he fumbles, “He hasn’t talked to anyone, has he?”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Uhm, well,” Cristiano feels his heart sink, “I think he mentioned it to Raúl. I’m not sure. I saw them talking and it looked like… Well I’m sure he hasn’t told any more people.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cristiano stares at him dumbly. How is it that his club is no better than gossiping old ladies, spreading around the latest bit of news? The latest news about him and Fábio, no less. He makes a mental note to speak to Raúl.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Gonzalo straightens up. “But that’s actually not what I brought you here to say.” He draws a deep breath. “Listen, I said I was an idiot, and it’s true. I was kind of an idiot when you and Fábio came out to me and the guys.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cris shakes his head. “No, don’t worry about it. You were fine, it’s OK that you needed some time-”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Well, no,” Gonzalo cuts him off and Cristiano’s jaw clicks closed, “it wasn’t just that. It was, well, when you told us… You know…” Gonzalo can’t form the sentences right now, even though he already had planned what he would say. Cris gives him a measuring look, and then sighs.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Look, Pipa, it’s fine. Really. I knew that if I came out there would be people who would change their opinion about me, and people might not like me anymore.” Gonzalo looks like wants to interject, but Cristiano keeps going, eyes distant. “It’s the truth, and it’s fine. We’re still teammates, I guess.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Gonzalo speaks up, finally, “It’s not like that.” Cristiano’s eyes snap up to meet the Argentine’s. “I have no problem with that. I told you I have no problem if you or Fábio or anyone is gay. I don’t care.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Then what? You said you needed time, but you say now you don’t care. What’s the problem?”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“The problem? The problem is not you. Or Fábio,” he quickly adds. He rakes a hand through his hair and sighs. “I think the problem might actually have been me.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cristiano blinks. “You?”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">He sighs again. “I had never put much thought to having gay players on the team,” he starts, speaking slowly. “The other day, that was actually the first time anyone had come out to me, ever. So now, suddenly, there’s two gay players on the team, and you’ve been gay and hiding it for about as long as I’ve known you, right?” The Portuguese nods. “Right. So then I just started thinking of who else might be gay, too.” Cristiano winces, but lets his teammate continue. “And so I started thinking, ‘Damn, I can’t imagine having to hide something as huge as that.’ And then I thought, ‘Damn, what if I was gay?’”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">And suddenly, it’s all so clear to Cristiano. “And you’ve never asked yourself that question.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Gonzalo shakes his head. “I’ve never had a reason to,” he shrugs. “So now, I was asking myself that question. And I was… scared? Of what the answer was going to be.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cristiano’s eyes grow wide. Honestly, beyond the effect that it would have on himself and his family, he hadn’t thought too much about how coming out would affect the members of his team. Carefully, he asks, “Did you find out the answer?”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Gonzalo smiles ruefully. “Well… the jury is still out on that, apparently.” Cristiano’s eyebrows shoot up. “Don’t… Don’t tell anyone. I’m pretty sure the answer is ‘I’m not,’ but I want to be completely sure. It’s pretty fucking important, as you know.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Don’t worry Pipa. I don’t tell anyone other people’s secrets. Ahem.” Cristiano smirks, trying to lighten the atmosphere. Gonzalo smacks him upside the head and then says, “Sorry about that. The secret, I mean. Not your head.” Cris laughs.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“So long story short, I had a hard time processing, and then I was a dick. And I’m also sorry for that. So, we’re good?” he looks at Cristiano, stretching out his hand.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cris nods and takes it. “Yeah, we’re all good.” They shake hands and it strikes Cris as such an odd situation; he’s shaking on a peace treaty with Gonzalo in an empty corridor at Valdebebas, holding this new secret between them.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The Argentine peers at him strangely. “Do we need to hug it out now, or…?”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cris laughs, “No, we can leave it at that.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Gonzalo pulls him into a hug anyways.
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:
minor-latin">~*~
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">There’s a noticeable change in Real Madrid from there forward. Everyone is surprised at how the vibe on the team has completely turned around. Everyone but the people in the club. They knew how important it was for team unity to have all of their key players sharing the same mindset. The captains and Cristiano (who has just as much influence, if not more, sometimes, than his captains) are finally showing a united front, not just to the world who doubts them, but to their own team as well.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Their next match against City is a must-win, and when the winning goal was scored, at the very last minute, it was like a dam had burst. All the nerves, all the adrenaline, all the emotion poured out from the whole team. Cristiano is sprawled out on the grass of the Bernabéu as his team mates crush around him, yelling and laughing, and if he turns his head he can see his manager and the bench doing the same thing a few meters away.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">For Cris, that game-winning goal is not just for Real Madrid. It’s for himself, too. It’s to prove to himself that he is, in fact, the same Cristiano. That he can keep scoring no matter what; no matter who knows what, no matter who says what. That even if his world seems like it gets flipped upside down every few days, he still has one thing that doesn’t change.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">This right here won’t ever change.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">~*~
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The media spends most of their time making up issues to discuss at length. Most of them have developed a sudden interest in gauging Cristiano’s moods after every match, but Cristiano doesn’t bite. Quickly the topic of “Cristiano’s sadness” is replaced by “Iker doesn’t celebrate goals” and “Sergio defies Mou” and assorted bullshit. The team has a good laugh about it during practice.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Fábio even sees rumors popping up about him and his status at Madrid. He sees half a paragraph about a possible trade involving him in ‘Marca’ and even though he knows it must be utter lies, it still leaves him with an uneasy feeling in his chest. In the back of his mind, he thinks that maybe he and Cris have crossed Florentino one too many times. He wouldn’t put it past the man to ‘eliminate the problem’, so to speak. And indeed, they still haven’t directly spoken to the man outside of official functions since Cristiano’s final conversation with him.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">He doesn’t voice any of his worries to Cristiano yet, after all, there’s no concrete basis for the rumors. He does, however, call his agent Jorge and mentions it to him. Jorge assures him that nothing’s been put on the table yet, and that if there is, he will fight for Fábio as hard as he can. The man’s words put him more at ease, but he still can’t shake that feeling of dread.
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:
Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">~*~
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Madrid travels to Manchester in late November for the away leg of their Champions League clash, and Cristiano is hit with a sense of familiarity so strong it’s almost crippling. He’ll always have a soft spot for his old team, United, and for this crazy city and its fans who defended him and chanted his name. He won’t really admit that there are days, usually rainy days, when he sometimes still thinks about Manchester and the six years he spent there. But all he has to do is look around now, at the bus full of some of his closest friends, loyal teammates, and he remembers that it all worked out; he made the right move.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">As the bus drives through the city, Cristiano points out some memorable spots, and roads.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">(“See that road down there? That’s where I crashed my Ferrari, down in one of those tunnels. Completely totaled it.” Fábio cringes, picturing it, as Pepe and Marcelo laugh at Cristiano, teasing him about his bad luck with expensive cars.)
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">(“If you turn off on this exit right back there, way out into the countryside is where my house used to be, in Cheshire.”)
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">(“You go down Wimslow, then Exit M56, then exit at Chester, left on Wharfside and then take a left on John Gilbert,” Cristiano recites from memory.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“OK, and then where am I?” Fábio asks, smiling curiously.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“You’re at Old Trafford.”)
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">This time around, their win against City is much more routine.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Fábio even comes on for mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:
minor-latin">Álvaro in the 60th minute. He’s been playing more now that Mourinho and Florentino had their little discussion and his injuries have healed up. Even still, he knows to relish every minute that he gets to play, those long games at the start of the season still vivid in his mind.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Álvaro hugs him as he comes off, sweaty and musky, and shouts in his ear, “Go set the place on fire, bro!” Fábio shakes his head bemusedly as he jogs out to his spot.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Karim is the one to score the only goal of the game, but it was from a team play and a perfect Ronaldo assist, cutting in from the left wing and sitting beautifully, just begging to be blasted into the back of the net. The Real Madrid and Man United supporters go nuts, the visiting team’s sections a mess of red and white scarfs and flags waving in the stands.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cristiano can hear his old chant, too, coming up from the visitors’ seats. He grins, and holds his hand up to wave at the visitors, the Madrid fans and the United fans that bought their tickets to troll City. He thinks of that moment for the rest of the match, and has “Viva Ronaldo, Viva Ronaldo!” stuck in his head until the whistle is blown.
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:
minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">~*~
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The team celebrates in the locker room; their victory here means they’re pretty much assured to be out of the group stages. They just need to win again against Ajax at home, but with the points they’ve amassed, qualification’s a done deal.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Fresh from his shower, dressed, hair immaculately gelled, Cristiano steps out of the locker room, ready to face the media. Before he barely gets out of the door, he stops short. Right next to the visitors’ locker room door stands one of the last people Cristiano expected to see.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Surprise,” the man mumbles with a smirk, blue eyes twinkling.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Wayne!” Cristiano exclaims, going to embrace his former teammate. “What are you doing here, mate?”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“I came to watch ya, mate. Well, better said, I came to watch City get their arses handed to ‘em, but I also came to watch ya play.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Always is fun to watch City get their asses beat, right?” Cristiano laughs.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Especially that.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Players are coming out of the locker room behind them as they chat, some of the guys patting Cristiano on the back and nodding to Wayne as they pass. They don’t talk for too long; Cristiano asks Wayne about his son and his child on the way, how the team is doing and everything. Wayne talks in that familiar slurred mumble that Cristiano has to strain to understand, but after years of spending time with him he’s quite used to that heavy Liverpool accent.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Well, I know ya gotta be goin’ now, so I don’t want to hold you up too long,” Wayne says. “Good job out there, again, Ronnie. Take care of yourself,”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Thanks, mate. Take care of yourself too, Wazza. Don’t get injured again,” Cristiano jokes with a grin.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The shorter man smiles bashfully. He looks up at Cris, gives him a look that makes Cris’s smile falter. “You look good, Ronnie,” he says, and Cris laughs. “I mean it mate, ya look good; you look like yer happy.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cristiano smiles, not that big camera-ready smile, but the small smile he reserves for friends and people who know him well. “I am happy. I’m really happy.” He thinks of Fábio, who passed behind him with a smirk a minute ago, of his son and his family, of his team’s victory here and their standing in the Liga. It’s true; he is happy.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“S’good. S’real good. You’re no fun when you’re sad.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">They say their goodbyes and Cristiano’s grin lasts him all the way through the mixed zone, through the bus ride, and through the flight home until he falls asleep.
Next
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Mourinho makes an executive decision.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The disastrous loss at Sevilla was the final straw. His job, at the end of the day, was to manage Real Madrid. It’s not his job to deal with his player’s personal drama; it’s the players’ jobs to leave all that shit at home. It’s also not his job to deal with the whims and “suggestions” of a temperamental club president. He can’t work like this, with a team that’s sort of half-divided and half-oblivious, picking sides in a quiet battle half of them don’t even know about.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">And besides, it’s his reputation that’s on the line every time Madrid steps out onto the pitch and steps off with another defeat.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">~*~
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">El Mister calls his team early to a closed practice, and as they arrive they’re ushered away from the field and into the team’s video review room. The team sits, fidgeting in their rows of chairs while the managers and trainers sit in front of the projector screen, waiting.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cristiano cringes as he walks in. He really has absolutely no desire to rewatch the match; he’s already been playing it over and over again in his head since he stepped off the pitch. He takes his seat near the back next to Pepe, who fist bumps him in greeting and shoots him a look of “I-know-what-you’re-thinking-and-I-agree”. Fábio trails in a few minutes after, finding the empty seat near Cris and slouching into it. Cris drops a hand onto the left back’s knee, runs his thumb over his kneecap in greeting. They trade glances, conspiratorial, before their attention is called to the front.
Mourinho sits on his stool wearing his usual training day tracksuit, notebook in hand. “You guys can relax,” he smirks, “we’re not here to watch the match again.” Several players let out a relieved breath. “We’re here to have a talk.” The room goes dead silent and Fábio can feel Cris’s hand tightening around his knee, sees him pull his bottom lip between his teeth.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“The way we played against Sevilla was unacceptable,” the Portuguese continues. “I know you heard my comments to the press, and I want to explain them to you. When I said ‘I have no team’, I meant, ‘this is not the team I know’. The team I know plays hard, fights for every ball, works together, and does not give up until the whistle. This team didn’t show up on Sunday.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The team shifts guiltily, very few players still meeting Mourinho’s eyes. The older man sighs. “I’m not blind, guys. I know that there have been a lot of things off the pitch that have been distracting some of you. Those of you who are distracted know who you are,” he adds, pointedly.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Half the room glances at Cristiano, a few at Gonzalo.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“I’m not here to point fingers or place blame. If anything, I should place the blame on myself. I shouldn’t have let it get to this point. As your coach, it’s my responsibility to nip these things in the bud before they can grow and infect the team. But yet here we sit, with only four points and Barça eight points ahead.” Heads drop, and a hiss of quiet disappointment rises from somewhere in the team.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The Portuguese continues, “Whoever’s fault it was, yours, mine, no one, it’s unacceptable. I’ve spoken to Florentino,” the manager’s eyes zero in on the back of the room, and he’s speaking directly to Cristiano and Fábio, “and he agrees that it’s time for a change. We can’t carry on the way we have been.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Fábio and Cristiano share a look, but don’t say a word. Fábio can barely let himself hope that he understands the meaning behind Mourinho’s words.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Mourinho looks back down at the rest of the team, “From now on things are different. The distractions have been dealt with, so I want to begin the season today. I want to see maximum effort, maximum dedication. I want to see my Madrid out here in practice, and out on the pitch on Tuesday. It’s the fucking Champions League, gentlemen.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">A few chuckles bubble up from the team, but the words are clear and everyone is nodding their head in agreement.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Good. Now that that’s settled, time to move on to the next thing.” Mourinho smiles wickedly.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Rui, roll the tape.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">~*~
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Cris.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cristiano whirls around and comes face to face with Gonzalo. The Argentine gestures with his head for Cris to go over to him. He follows him down a hallway away from their team. He stops once they’re out of earshot, and Cristiano holds his breath.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“OK, I was kind of an idiot,” Gonzalo starts, “and I only told Ángel because he pressured me.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">All the breath rushes out of Cristiano. “Ángel?! Are you serious?” Cristiano fumes, disbelieving. “Nothing was supposed to leave the room!”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“I know,” Gonzalo starts again, holding his hands out in a gesture meant to calm the Portuguese, “And I wasn’t going to say anything. But Ángel overheard Sergio and Álvaro saying something about you and Fábio, and he asked me about it. I wasn’t going to tell him, but he has his ways,” he answers sheepishly, looking apologetic.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cristiano looks at him, still unable to believe that the secret he and Fábio held closest to their hearts is being tossed around so carelessly. “Well,” he fumbles, “He hasn’t talked to anyone, has he?”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Uhm, well,” Cristiano feels his heart sink, “I think he mentioned it to Raúl. I’m not sure. I saw them talking and it looked like… Well I’m sure he hasn’t told any more people.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cristiano stares at him dumbly. How is it that his club is no better than gossiping old ladies, spreading around the latest bit of news? The latest news about him and Fábio, no less. He makes a mental note to speak to Raúl.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Gonzalo straightens up. “But that’s actually not what I brought you here to say.” He draws a deep breath. “Listen, I said I was an idiot, and it’s true. I was kind of an idiot when you and Fábio came out to me and the guys.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cris shakes his head. “No, don’t worry about it. You were fine, it’s OK that you needed some time-”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Well, no,” Gonzalo cuts him off and Cristiano’s jaw clicks closed, “it wasn’t just that. It was, well, when you told us… You know…” Gonzalo can’t form the sentences right now, even though he already had planned what he would say. Cris gives him a measuring look, and then sighs.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Look, Pipa, it’s fine. Really. I knew that if I came out there would be people who would change their opinion about me, and people might not like me anymore.” Gonzalo looks like wants to interject, but Cristiano keeps going, eyes distant. “It’s the truth, and it’s fine. We’re still teammates, I guess.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Gonzalo speaks up, finally, “It’s not like that.” Cristiano’s eyes snap up to meet the Argentine’s. “I have no problem with that. I told you I have no problem if you or Fábio or anyone is gay. I don’t care.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Then what? You said you needed time, but you say now you don’t care. What’s the problem?”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“The problem? The problem is not you. Or Fábio,” he quickly adds. He rakes a hand through his hair and sighs. “I think the problem might actually have been me.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cristiano blinks. “You?”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">He sighs again. “I had never put much thought to having gay players on the team,” he starts, speaking slowly. “The other day, that was actually the first time anyone had come out to me, ever. So now, suddenly, there’s two gay players on the team, and you’ve been gay and hiding it for about as long as I’ve known you, right?” The Portuguese nods. “Right. So then I just started thinking of who else might be gay, too.” Cristiano winces, but lets his teammate continue. “And so I started thinking, ‘Damn, I can’t imagine having to hide something as huge as that.’ And then I thought, ‘Damn, what if I was gay?’”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">And suddenly, it’s all so clear to Cristiano. “And you’ve never asked yourself that question.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Gonzalo shakes his head. “I’ve never had a reason to,” he shrugs. “So now, I was asking myself that question. And I was… scared? Of what the answer was going to be.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cristiano’s eyes grow wide. Honestly, beyond the effect that it would have on himself and his family, he hadn’t thought too much about how coming out would affect the members of his team. Carefully, he asks, “Did you find out the answer?”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Gonzalo smiles ruefully. “Well… the jury is still out on that, apparently.” Cristiano’s eyebrows shoot up. “Don’t… Don’t tell anyone. I’m pretty sure the answer is ‘I’m not,’ but I want to be completely sure. It’s pretty fucking important, as you know.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Don’t worry Pipa. I don’t tell anyone other people’s secrets. Ahem.” Cristiano smirks, trying to lighten the atmosphere. Gonzalo smacks him upside the head and then says, “Sorry about that. The secret, I mean. Not your head.” Cris laughs.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“So long story short, I had a hard time processing, and then I was a dick. And I’m also sorry for that. So, we’re good?” he looks at Cristiano, stretching out his hand.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cris nods and takes it. “Yeah, we’re all good.” They shake hands and it strikes Cris as such an odd situation; he’s shaking on a peace treaty with Gonzalo in an empty corridor at Valdebebas, holding this new secret between them.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The Argentine peers at him strangely. “Do we need to hug it out now, or…?”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cris laughs, “No, we can leave it at that.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Gonzalo pulls him into a hug anyways.
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:
minor-latin">~*~
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">There’s a noticeable change in Real Madrid from there forward. Everyone is surprised at how the vibe on the team has completely turned around. Everyone but the people in the club. They knew how important it was for team unity to have all of their key players sharing the same mindset. The captains and Cristiano (who has just as much influence, if not more, sometimes, than his captains) are finally showing a united front, not just to the world who doubts them, but to their own team as well.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Their next match against City is a must-win, and when the winning goal was scored, at the very last minute, it was like a dam had burst. All the nerves, all the adrenaline, all the emotion poured out from the whole team. Cristiano is sprawled out on the grass of the Bernabéu as his team mates crush around him, yelling and laughing, and if he turns his head he can see his manager and the bench doing the same thing a few meters away.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">For Cris, that game-winning goal is not just for Real Madrid. It’s for himself, too. It’s to prove to himself that he is, in fact, the same Cristiano. That he can keep scoring no matter what; no matter who knows what, no matter who says what. That even if his world seems like it gets flipped upside down every few days, he still has one thing that doesn’t change.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">This right here won’t ever change.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">~*~
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The media spends most of their time making up issues to discuss at length. Most of them have developed a sudden interest in gauging Cristiano’s moods after every match, but Cristiano doesn’t bite. Quickly the topic of “Cristiano’s sadness” is replaced by “Iker doesn’t celebrate goals” and “Sergio defies Mou” and assorted bullshit. The team has a good laugh about it during practice.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Fábio even sees rumors popping up about him and his status at Madrid. He sees half a paragraph about a possible trade involving him in ‘Marca’ and even though he knows it must be utter lies, it still leaves him with an uneasy feeling in his chest. In the back of his mind, he thinks that maybe he and Cris have crossed Florentino one too many times. He wouldn’t put it past the man to ‘eliminate the problem’, so to speak. And indeed, they still haven’t directly spoken to the man outside of official functions since Cristiano’s final conversation with him.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">He doesn’t voice any of his worries to Cristiano yet, after all, there’s no concrete basis for the rumors. He does, however, call his agent Jorge and mentions it to him. Jorge assures him that nothing’s been put on the table yet, and that if there is, he will fight for Fábio as hard as he can. The man’s words put him more at ease, but he still can’t shake that feeling of dread.
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:
Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">~*~
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Madrid travels to Manchester in late November for the away leg of their Champions League clash, and Cristiano is hit with a sense of familiarity so strong it’s almost crippling. He’ll always have a soft spot for his old team, United, and for this crazy city and its fans who defended him and chanted his name. He won’t really admit that there are days, usually rainy days, when he sometimes still thinks about Manchester and the six years he spent there. But all he has to do is look around now, at the bus full of some of his closest friends, loyal teammates, and he remembers that it all worked out; he made the right move.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">As the bus drives through the city, Cristiano points out some memorable spots, and roads.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">(“See that road down there? That’s where I crashed my Ferrari, down in one of those tunnels. Completely totaled it.” Fábio cringes, picturing it, as Pepe and Marcelo laugh at Cristiano, teasing him about his bad luck with expensive cars.)
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">(“If you turn off on this exit right back there, way out into the countryside is where my house used to be, in Cheshire.”)
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">(“You go down Wimslow, then Exit M56, then exit at Chester, left on Wharfside and then take a left on John Gilbert,” Cristiano recites from memory.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“OK, and then where am I?” Fábio asks, smiling curiously.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“You’re at Old Trafford.”)
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">This time around, their win against City is much more routine.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Fábio even comes on for mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:
minor-latin">Álvaro in the 60th minute. He’s been playing more now that Mourinho and Florentino had their little discussion and his injuries have healed up. Even still, he knows to relish every minute that he gets to play, those long games at the start of the season still vivid in his mind.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Álvaro hugs him as he comes off, sweaty and musky, and shouts in his ear, “Go set the place on fire, bro!” Fábio shakes his head bemusedly as he jogs out to his spot.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Karim is the one to score the only goal of the game, but it was from a team play and a perfect Ronaldo assist, cutting in from the left wing and sitting beautifully, just begging to be blasted into the back of the net. The Real Madrid and Man United supporters go nuts, the visiting team’s sections a mess of red and white scarfs and flags waving in the stands.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cristiano can hear his old chant, too, coming up from the visitors’ seats. He grins, and holds his hand up to wave at the visitors, the Madrid fans and the United fans that bought their tickets to troll City. He thinks of that moment for the rest of the match, and has “Viva Ronaldo, Viva Ronaldo!” stuck in his head until the whistle is blown.
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:
minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">~*~
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The team celebrates in the locker room; their victory here means they’re pretty much assured to be out of the group stages. They just need to win again against Ajax at home, but with the points they’ve amassed, qualification’s a done deal.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Fresh from his shower, dressed, hair immaculately gelled, Cristiano steps out of the locker room, ready to face the media. Before he barely gets out of the door, he stops short. Right next to the visitors’ locker room door stands one of the last people Cristiano expected to see.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Surprise,” the man mumbles with a smirk, blue eyes twinkling.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Wayne!” Cristiano exclaims, going to embrace his former teammate. “What are you doing here, mate?”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“I came to watch ya, mate. Well, better said, I came to watch City get their arses handed to ‘em, but I also came to watch ya play.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Always is fun to watch City get their asses beat, right?” Cristiano laughs.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Especially that.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Players are coming out of the locker room behind them as they chat, some of the guys patting Cristiano on the back and nodding to Wayne as they pass. They don’t talk for too long; Cristiano asks Wayne about his son and his child on the way, how the team is doing and everything. Wayne talks in that familiar slurred mumble that Cristiano has to strain to understand, but after years of spending time with him he’s quite used to that heavy Liverpool accent.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Well, I know ya gotta be goin’ now, so I don’t want to hold you up too long,” Wayne says. “Good job out there, again, Ronnie. Take care of yourself,”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Thanks, mate. Take care of yourself too, Wazza. Don’t get injured again,” Cristiano jokes with a grin.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The shorter man smiles bashfully. He looks up at Cris, gives him a look that makes Cris’s smile falter. “You look good, Ronnie,” he says, and Cris laughs. “I mean it mate, ya look good; you look like yer happy.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Cristiano smiles, not that big camera-ready smile, but the small smile he reserves for friends and people who know him well. “I am happy. I’m really happy.” He thinks of Fábio, who passed behind him with a smirk a minute ago, of his son and his family, of his team’s victory here and their standing in the Liga. It’s true; he is happy.
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“S’good. S’real good. You’re no fun when you’re sad.”
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">They say their goodbyes and Cristiano’s grin lasts him all the way through the mixed zone, through the bus ride, and through the flight home until he falls asleep.
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