Ronaldo adds another feather to his cap

Cristiano Ronaldo talks with Uefa president Michel Platini after receiving the Best Player of the Year award at the Globe Soccer Awards ceremony in Dubai. — AFP

Dubai — It was the most unusual night. The dreamy settings of the Atlantis demanded grandeur and the guests were more than happy to oblige, arriving for the Globe Soccer Awards gala in all their splendour. Their regal style and poise on the red carpet made it unbelievably difficult to know if some of them were celebrities or just invitees.

You could hear the splutter of laughter from the photographers once they realised that the stylish people who sent them into a frenzy were actually nobodies in public imagination.

Then there were also some like Michel Platini, one of the greatest midfielders ever and now one of the most powerful men in football. Non-football people could have been forgiven for thinking the Frenchman was some theatre personality.

Platini, who famously charmed the Old Lady in his heyday, is now in his late 50s. His mop of black hair still hasn’t begun to turn grey. His graceful manners gave the impression as though he was some acclaimed actor on the stage, greeting people in a festive scene.

Pierluigi Collina was quite a contrast though. The bald Italian with frightening eyes could perfectly play the role of a Sicilian gangster in a Francis Ford Coppola classic.

What helped Collina win six Fifa Referee of the Year awards in a row? Maybe one long, hard stare at the impish divers was enough to make sure there was fair play and no wrong penalty. Here on a starry night, he was making heads turn and memories of Collina’s intimidating presence as a referee on a football field faded away as he politely obliged to the selfie and autograph hunters.

Seeing these people on such an occasion could also be a learning experience. How you pay a price for marrying a famous footballer. Even if you are drop-dead gorgeous and a successful model like Jessica Lemarie, you could still be pushed into obscurity. All the footballing romantics wanted was a piece of Robert Pires, Arsenal legend and French World Cup and Euro winner. The Frenchman never lost his cool even when he was mobbed as Lemarie patiently looked at the madness her 41-year-old husband sparked among diehard fans. One man didn’t set the hearts racing though. He was once a global superstar who enthralled fans with his flamboyance and diving volleys on the net. But on a Monday night in Dubai, Boris Becker was walking on crutches, only managing to draw a few glances from curious onlookers.

Maybe Novak Djokovic has something to do with the limping German. Did the current world number one push the former world number one too hard in training? We will hopefully get an answer from the Serb on his current coach at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi later this week.

But what the photographers and the wide-eyed fans without an invitation card didn’t get was a glimpse of Cristiano Ronaldo — the biggest attraction of the night. He was scheduled to arrive at 10pm and fans and photographers were waiting and waiting for their biggest moment until somebody with an Italian accent announced that the Portuguese superstar and his Colombian teammate, James Rodriguez, entered the Palm Ballroom through the back door.

Hearts were broken and to see some of those kids react to it was akin to seeing a little girl weep after losing her favourite toy.

Ronaldo didn’t lose anything though. In fact, Real Madrid’s most famous Galactico arrived to a standing ovation before departing with two awards in his hands. The first one was the Player of the Year award and the next was Marca Fans’ Favourite Player award.

The Portugal captain now sets his sights on his third Fifa Ballon d’Or. “I hope that it (the Dubai Globe Soccer best player award) can be a good signal but I’m not worried about that. The people who vote know what they have to do,” Ronaldo said about his chances of picking up his most favourite trophy on January 12 in Zurich.

“I just feel happy it’s one more trophy for my dedication and hard work. I want to say thank you to the people at Real Madrid — the players, the coach. We had a fantastic season, we won four trophies and we are one of the best teams in the world. “To win this award is one of the great pleasures, I am very proud.”

The unusual night ended with a familiar tale as one who rose from a humble background to become one of the most recognisable faces in the world added another feather to his cap.

rituraj@khaleejtimes.com