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Cristiano meets Mr Spleen: global football celebrity, mythic Manchester and the Portuguese diaspora

2010; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 13; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/17430437.2010.491263

1743-0445

Stephen Wagg,

Music History and Culture

There will be other contenders – the powerful and charismatic goal scorer Eusebio2 2 Eusebio da Silva Ferreira, universally known as Eusebio, was born in Portuguese East Africa (now Mozambique) in 1942. He played for Benfica between 1960 and 1975, and for Portugal from 1961 to 1973. , for instance – but the majority of students of Portuguese football are likely to judge that the most talented player ever to play for their country is Cristiano Ronaldo, born on the island of Madeira in 1985. There is comparably little doubt that, through his globally publicized sojourn at Manchester United (2003–09) and his equally scrutinized life as a celebrity, Ronaldo is also the most widely known individual to become part of the Portuguese diaspora. While in Manchester, Ronaldo divided local football opinion. At the time of Ronaldo's imminent departure from Manchester, former United centre-forward Ruud van Nistelrooy declared that Cristiano was 'now a great player'. Johann Cruyff, ex-captain and manager of the Netherlands and informally seen as the world's best footballer for much of the 1970s, went further, pronouncing Ronaldo better than Manchester United icons George Best and Denis Law. By contrast, Red Issue, a fanzine written and read by 'independent' Manchester United supporters, showed scant sadness at Ronaldo's impending move to Real Madrid, describing him as 'a preening, perma-tanned, posturing, petulant prick'.3 3 All quotations taken from Andy Mitten, 'Better than Best, But Memories Fade', The Independent, 14 June 2009, http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/better-than-best-but-memories-fade-1704726.html (accessed 22 November 2009). This article explores the reasons for these contrasting renditions of Ronaldo and compares them to constructions of the same player among football supporters of the Portuguese community in south-west London. The Red Issue response to Ronaldo is rooted in what might be called the notion of place as class. The implication is that, unlike other Manchester United players, Ronaldo has failed to provide 'ordinary' United supporters with anything that might signify an acknowledgement of Manchester – of its urban myths or of the lives of its working-class residents. The research is then directed to compare the judgments on Ronaldo of the Manchester United supporter network with those of British-based Portuguese observers. The result is a comparative analysis of the rendering and reception of football celebrity in different communities, and the respective weight accorded therein to class, ethnicity and other factors. This helps to render patterns of football support in their full international and inter-cultural complexity.