Hats off to Ronaldo
We congratulate Portuguese star Ronaldo for his winning the ‘footballer of the year’ award walking past Argentine Lionel Messi, French star Riberi, Sweden’s Ibrahimovech and Brazilian Neymar. Thus, Christiano Ronaldo ended the four-year dominance of Lionel Messi when he was awarded the 2013 FIFA Ballon d’Or in Zurich on Monday. There is no doubt that it is good news for Portugal, which struggled to reach the final round of World Cup Football 2014 beginning from June 23 in Sao Paulo. Surely there are enormous booties in football nowadays, which was unthinkable in the fifties and the sixties.
Nowadays footballers easily catch both cash and people’s affection easily thanks to the media’s telecast. It was unthinkable in the past. Very few of us have heard the name of Garincha, the great Brazilian who guided his country to win two world titles in succession in 1958 and 1962. Garinch’a marvelous dribbling capacity and powerful left kick are hard to compare with any other player. But unfortunately, own countrymen neglected Garincha, who died almost in isolated life in pool of poverty.
However, but both Ronaldo and Messi are to regret for their failure to win in any major international competition like Continental Championship, Confederation Cup and World Cup. Argentina did not win any major international title after 1993.
Still, they are admittedly of extraordinary genius. Will Bangladeshi footballers take lessons from them?
Dabiruddin Chowdhury
Paksey, Pabna
