Moments after Real Madrid
Football Club won their 10th
UEFA Champions League trophy
in 2014, the global audience and
thousands of football fans at the
Stadium of Light in Lisbon were taken by surprise when Cristiano Ronaldo abandoned the team’s celebration and ran to
a section of the stand to pull out a
man from the crowd and hug him
affectionately. The action was a public
confession by Ronaldo to honour
his childhood clubmate who
‘sacrificed himself’ and allowed
the Portuguese star to become a
global icon today. Ronaldo said in an interview he
granted some years ago that he
and his friend were vying for a
spot in an academy of Andorinha
in Funchal, Madeira. “I have to thank my old friend
Albert Fantrau for my success.
We played together for the same
team in the U-18 championship.
When a scout came to see us he
said that “Whoever scores more goals will come into our
academy.” “We won that match 3-0. I scored
the first goal then Albert scored
the second with a great header.
But the third goal was impressive
for all of us. Albert was one-on-one against
the goalkeeper, he rounded the
goalkeeper and I was running in
front of him. “All he had to do was to score
that goal but he passed it to me
and I scored the third goal, so I
got that spot and went to the
academy. “After the match I went to him
and asked him why? Albert said
that “Because you (Ronaldo) are
better than me.” Journalists then went to Albert’s
house and asked him if it was a
true story. He said yes. He also said that his career as a
player after the match ended and
now is unemployed. “But how did you build this house
so great, you have a car? You
seem like a rich man. You also
able keep your family. From
where did this come from? ‘ Albert more proudly replied: “It is
from Ronaldo!” This explains why Ronaldo had to
single him out of the crowd to
share in his celebration. Never forget the person who
believed in you and gave you a
helping hand in life.
