Current Ballon Dor winner, Cristiano Ronaldo, dedicated his La Decima UEFA Champions
League triumph with Real Madrid to old friend and
childhood football mate, Albert Fantrau.
Moments after the match ended with Los Blancos side
savouring a flattering 4-1 win over city rivals, Atletico
Madrid, the global audience and thousands of football fans
at the Stadium of Light in Lisbon were taken by surprise
when 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 of Real Madrid winning
their 10th UEFA Champions League trophy.
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