Cristiano Ronaldo wages: Charitable donation from crazy salary would seal Man United star's legacy

As shock transfers go it certainly wasn’t an Eric Cantona or Maurice Johnston, but Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford at the weekend highlighted the widening gulf between football and reality.
Cristiano RonaldoCristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo

I think I’d believe the content of TOWIE more than the rumour that Ronaldo was leaving Juventus for Manchester City.

It was a plot straight out of Crossroads, and anyone who bought into it needs to get down to Worthing Pier quickly as there’s a man giving out £20 notes as we speak!

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The alleged phone intervention of Sir Alex and Rio also made excellent copy, but ultimately in almost a carbon copy of Messi’s migration to Paris this was only ever about the money.

United for their part are safe in the knowledge that any outlay will be recouped by expensive replica shirt sales, while Ronaldo must sleep sounder at night knowing that he’s finally financially secured the lives of his great great great great great grandchildren.

A reported £450,000 a week for any player in the current climate is frankly obscene.

It’s a fact that over 16,000 people in Worthing live below the food poverty threshold, so if that’s the situation in sleepy West Sussex, what would the corresponding figure be in Manchester?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In the same way Messi’s crocodile tears smokescreened the fact he could have stayed at Barca as an amateur, it would not affect Ronaldo in any way, shape or form if he gave up 50 per cent of his weekly wage to the Manchester Foodbank Network – £11.7m a year (tax free as a charitable donation) to the underprivileged of his chosen city?

And he’d still be earning nearly £12m a year before tax!

What a legacy, surely historically meaning more than any number of Champions Leagues, EPL titles or FA Cup wins? But would it happen? There’s more chance of Hollyoaks winning a BAFTA.

Meanwhile, The Albion came down to earth with a bump against Everton on Saturday, and maybe a timely reminder that’s it’s a marathon not a sprint isn’t such a bad thing.

It’s apparent the Albion are still not the finished article.

Only time will tell if 11th hour transfer recruitment will help tick enough boxes.