When someone is unbelievably good at what she/he does, people start labelling them as Gods. Sachin Tendulkar is synonymous to God of cricket because of his outstanding career as a player. Meanwhile, in football, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the two players that hold this distinction of being incredibly good at what they do.
But as much as we love to adore players with superhuman skills, labelling them in the same bracket as the almighty is nothing but an exaggerated attempt to sate our endearment towards them. And every once in a while, the said players show us that they are also vulnerable like the rest of us.
Also read: Five times Lionel Messi proved that he is human
And here are 5 such incidents when Cristiano Ronaldo showed that he is only a mere human:
#1 “Rich, handsome and a great player”
One of the banes of being Cristiano Ronaldo is that you are almost certain to be jeered at any stadium that you set foot in. Be it the Camp Nou or even the Bernabeu, the Portugal captain has been booed relentlessly on many occasions.
In most cases, he responds to them with his actions: scoring goals every now and again, and changing matches on their heads. However, there are times when the jeers get to his nerves and he lashes out at them with his mouth. And one of those occasions was during a Champions League group stage encounter against Dinamo Zagreb.
After being booed vehemently by the Zagreb fans, he said: "I think that because I am rich, handsome and a great player people are envious of me. I don't have any other explanation.”
Anger is the most basic of human emotions and this was one of those moments where the Portuguese couldn’t hold his fury any longer.
#2 Penalty miss against Bayern
Whenever the referee whistles and points to the penalty spot, Cristiano Ronaldo toughens up like a lion who just caught his prey. ‘That’s mine,’ is what the Portugal captain’s body language oozes when the referee awards Real Madrid a penalty.
And he rarely ever disappoints. As expected, he became Real Madrid’s main penalty taker after joining the club and successfully converted them whenever he got the chance, except for the one time against Almeria in 2009—his debut season with the Whites.
So when he stepped up to take the first kick of the shootout against Bayern Munich in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final encounter in 2012, the bookies had already placed their bets on him scoring.
But, quite unbelievably, he missed. It was only the second time he ever missed a spot kick for the Galacticos, and what a terrible time it was for that to happen. Ultimately, Real Madrid went on to lose the clash and crashed out of the tournament.
Before that, however, he gave people the impression that it was impossible to stop his penalties, but that night against Manuel Neuer, he showed his human side—a side that played a role in costing his club a place in the final.
#3 Injury in 2016 Euro final
Control is something that no human possesses. It is only an illusion meant to make humans feel better and less afraid. Before Cristiano Ronaldo set foot to play in the final of the Euro 2016, he must have thought that the responsibility to make sure that his team lifts the trophy is solely in his hands.
However, fate had something else written for Ronaldo and Portugal. After just about 1/3 of the game, a clash with Dimitri Payet injured the Portugal number 7’s knee and he had to be taken off. However, he tried. He kept on playing even after being compromised and was only removed when it became absolutely apparent that he could no longer continue.
For some, he is a God. But this incident serves as a perfect reminder that Cristiano Ronaldo can’t control anything; that he— just like other humans — is susceptible to the fangs of fate.
And fate is superior to us all.
#4 Kick on Edimar
Petulant is another word that people use to describe the former Manchester United star. He has always been an impulsive one. Speaking his mind and doing his will. Sometimes, he doesn’t think before he acts or says anything. And that is something that has gotten him into trouble more often than not.
During a league encounter against Cordoba in January 2015, the Portugal captain kicked Edimar, who was hassling him inside the box, and earned himself a red card for the shameful act.
Tempers flare on the football pitch. After all, it is a high-intensity sport. The hearts of all players pump as fast it possibly can and the blood is always surging through the veins. At such a time, humans are most liable to falling prey to wrath.
And Cristiano Ronaldo is only a human, just like the rest of us.
#5 Pushing Pep Guardiola
For many, Pep Guardiola is a Shaolin Monk. However, not everything that appears gold-ish is gold.
In a high-octane clash like the El Clasico, every player on the pitch is playing with rage in their hearts. Some channel it within them while some express it through rash acts. It doesn’t take much to incense a player in such a fiercely fought game.
So when the ball crossed the touchline and fell into the hands of Pep Guardiola, he held it instead of giving it to Ronaldo, in a bid to waste time. The Portuguese was somewhat aghast and in a mode of reflex action, shoved the current Manchester City manager and prompted a fracas among the players of the two clubs.
Looking back at this incident, it can be concluded that both Guardiola and Cristiano were at fault—and making mistakes is a trait that only humans make.
