Lost battle: Ramon Calderon's assurance of
signing Cristiano Ronaldo will leave him out of
favour.
It was still June and Real's president realised he might have
overplayed his hand, succeeding only in angering the club with whom
he would have to deal, risking shattering the dreams of fans.
Covering his back, he insisted that "not signing Ronaldo would
not be a failure". He fooled nobody then and fewer still are under
any illusions now: a failure is exactly what it is.
Ronaldo's decision to stay at Manchester United is a massive
blow that even the implicit opportunity to sign him in the future
cannot soften. Not so much for coach Bernd Schuster nor for the
players, but for Calderon himself, who will now desperately
scramble for a big name. After all, the one thing that matters more
to him than anything else is at stake: his own survival.
Right now, having spent a bullish summer briefing that Ronaldo
was in the bag, the credibility of Real's president lies in
tatters. All the more so because this is a depressingly familiar
scene.
Calderon won Madrid's controversial presidential elections with
just over 8,000 votes – of 80,000 members. He has embarked on a
rather desperate search for legitimacy ever since. Like a
politician in mid-campaign, he has endlessly visited supporters'
clubs, trying to win over fans. Madrid may have won two successive
league titles but Calderon has not won the fans.