Cristiano and the lions

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Sometimes, it would be nice if footballers could emulate the brevity of rock stars.

It took the Clash just three minutes and six seconds to satisfactorily explore the conundrum of whether they should stay or go. Cristiano RonaldoâÂÂs will-he wonâÂÂt-he saga could run as long as Agatha ChristieâÂÂs The Mousetrap. But the denouement is a matter of when and not if. Even before Moscow, Man United fans I know were admitting that their favourite Portugeezer would not be at Old Trafford for life.

I blame Alfredo di Stefano. If he hadnâÂÂt scored in five successive European Cup finals â a feat itâÂÂs inconceivable to think will ever be matched â the legend of Real Madrid would not have such lustre that, 50 years on, the mythâÂÂs allure is so great that the worldâÂÂs greatest player Ã¢Â despite having won back to back league titles and the UEFA Champions League with one of the worldâÂÂs most famous clubs Ã¢Â seems to feel that he wonâÂÂt completely have succeeded in football unless he shines at the Bernabeu, a stage graced by Di Stefano, Puskas, Gento, Zidane, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Raul, Beckham et al.


Will he stay or will he go (add guitar riff) 

ItâÂÂs a cruel calculation but you can see RonaldoâÂÂs point. The Premier League may be dominating the Champions League â and United may be the most romanticised club in England â but Real has more resonance and more European Cups (nine to UnitedâÂÂs three). The economic might of the Premier League should not blind us to the fact that its clubs still canâÂÂt quite compete for aura and mystique with, most especially, Real and perhaps even Barcelona, Milan or Juve.

If you want to become a legend â or think youâÂÂre on the brink of becoming one â you want to play for a club that can boast the most legends, past and present. If Ronaldo can emulate or somehow surpass Di Stefano he will have proved himself the greatest club footballer who ever lived. So you can see why, from his point of view, he must be sorely tempted to move.

It is a nonsense that England arenâÂÂt at Euro 2008. A nonsense and a relief. The other day I surveyed my memories of previous tournaments as an England fan and, in a nutshell, they were:

1978: Boredom. Failure wasnâÂÂt so memorable second time around.

1982: âÂÂWeâÂÂre on our way, weâÂÂre the wrong 22â â er, sorry that was âÂÂRonâÂÂs 22âÂÂ.  âÂÂBrooking!âÂÂ

1986: Incredulity (especially as Ray Wilkins threw the ball at the referee and my mate Kevin put a fist through a wardrobe), relief (at the 3-0 win over Poland) and outrage (as Diego put his hand up).

1990: Sheer unadulterated joy like IâÂÂd never known before when Lineker equalised in the semi, followed by the dread you get in a Hitchcock movie as you sense something bad is about to happen but you canâÂÂt specify just how bad.

2002: Unqualified optimism (after Becksâ penalty against Argentina and the thrashing of Denmark), frustration, disappointment, disillusionment.


94: England, Holland, Platt, Koeman... do I not like that 

Nor will they have to pose with a St GeorgeâÂÂs Flag and try to look mean, moody and magnificent when, all too often, we have struggled to be mean, moody and mediocre.

And, replenished after a major tournamentâÂÂs respite from heartbreak, I fully expect to be cheering on the Three Lions again on the long and winding road to 2010.