Chapter 276
In the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final, Cristiano returned to Old Trafford.
It's a strange feeling to step onto this stadium again, but as an opponent, but for Cristiano, this is not the first time.
Cristiano swiped casually on the foggy window.
The Real Madrid bus drove slowly into Manchester. Cristiano sat by the window and looked out. He saw his name and images of paintings sprayed all over the walls on both sides of the street.
“Oh my God.” Marcelo opened his eyes wide in surprise while leaning against the window. “Look at the wall. It’s all Cristiano!”
"Because this is Manchester, this is Cristiano's territory." Bale looked out the window and he was not surprised at all.
He had seen Cristiano during his time at Manchester United, although not on the same field, but he had seen how Cristiano was surrounded and cheered on at Old Trafford.
"He's an Old Trafford boy," Bale said, his head turned away.
Modric on the side looked at him with some surprise: "It's rare to see you say so much."
"Because I am also a fan of Cristiano." Bale smiled. He sat in his seat and made a small gesture of crossing his hands across his chest and moving them downwards. He winked at his former Tottenham teammates, "Remember?"
Modric laughed: "I heard that."
The goal was scored against Manchester United. He dared to say that the people at Manchester United must have been more impressed.
Bell grinned and slumped back into his seat.
Cristiano looked out the window at the fans waving Manchester United flags and wearing Manchester United jerseys, rushing towards Old Trafford on the bus.
He even saw quite a few fans wearing jerseys with his number 7 and Ronaldo on them, which made him feel as if he was out of time and space, as if he had never left Manchester.
"It looks like it's going to rain today and it's cloudy," Benzema said in the car.
"There is no sun here, this is Manchester. Cristiano doesn't like the weather here, he prefers the sunshine in Madrid. Right Cristiano?" Ramos turned his head and looked at the Portuguese behind the seat.
Cristiano tilted his head and said, "But I've been in Manchester for several years. There's nothing I don't get used to."
Ramos' eyes widened, as if alarm bells were going off in his head.
"But you prefer the sunshine in Madrid, right?" he asked persistently.
Cristiano looked at him, as if wondering why Ramos was so confused. He nodded perfunctorily: "No one doesn't like sunshine."
Ramos was still not satisfied. He would rather hear Cristiano say that he liked Real Madrid more and wanted to stay there until he retired.
Even though he knew it was impossible.
Zidane was sitting in the front row of the bus and glanced back. These kids were so noisy and boring. He thought to himself.
Cristiano followed the team into the backcourt of Old Trafford. He was so familiar with this place, as familiar as returning home, but this time he had to walk into the visiting team's locker room.
They changed into dark green away jerseys and got ready in the player tunnel.
"Cris, Cris." Kaka's voice rang in Cristiano's ears. It took Cristiano two seconds to come back to his senses and look at Kaka.
"What's the matter?" Cristiano blinked and gave a slow, somewhat silly smile.
Kaka found this a little funny and a little itchy. He really wanted to hide Cristiano's expression and leave it only to him.
"How does it feel, Cristiano?" Varane stood in front of Cristiano. He turned to look at the Portuguese and asked, "How does it feel to hear the Manchester United fans outside still shouting your name?"
Cristiano paused, took a deep breath and exhaled heavily, his eyes not at Varane, but at his lover, who was also looking at him attentively. He replied: "It's a feeling of wanting to respond to this emotion with all my strength."
Varane seemed a little surprised by the answer, but soon he nodded slightly thoughtfully, as if he understood.
Cristiano smiled at Kaka, as if to prove that he was fine, he leaned forward slightly, hugged Kaka, and whispered in Kaka's ear: "I can't be better, it's true."
Kaka closed his arms upon hearing this and kissed Cristiano on the ear so quickly that Cristiano almost thought it was an illusion.
Standing on the other side of the same passage, Manchester United's main players glanced sideways at Real Madrid from time to time.
"Ronnie and that Brazilian guy really have no concept of safe social distance at all, right?" Ferdinand gritted his teeth.
"Have any of them at Real Madrid got the concept of social distancing into their heads?" Rooney rolled his eyes.
"Shouldn't you shift your gaze back? Focus." Alan knocked on the armrest and raised his eyebrows to remind them.
“…”
After Alan finished speaking, he also glanced towards Real Madrid's player tunnel, and then saw Cristiano looking towards them. He seemed very happy when he met his gaze, and came over to shake his hand and hugged him.
"Hey Alan!" The Portuguese's clear and excited voice rang out.
Alan unexpectedly accepted a hug, and when he turned back to his team, he saw Ferdinand and Evra staring at him: "Focus?"
Alan: “…It’s polite.”
Ferdinand snorted heavily.
Giggs sneered: "It can be seen that Ronnie's taste has never changed. He only hugs good-looking ones, such as Kaka and Alan."
Rooney rolled his eyes to the sky.
The broadcast outside began to announce the entry, first Manchester United's starting lineup, and then Real Madrid.
As the players' numbers were announced one by one on the radio, the night at Old Trafford officially became lively.
"… Number 2, Raphael Varane! Number 4, Sergio Ramos!"
The stadium was filled with boos from Manchester United's home fans, who were doing their duty.
Every time a Real Madrid player's name was announced, a burst of boos and jeers would start as soon as the broadcast sound ended.
"Number 22, Di Maria!"
"Shh——" There was still a lot of ridicule on the field.
Cristiano stood nervously at the entrance of the player tunnel, knowing that his turn would be next.
He looked toward the patch of grass on the court that was illuminated by the lights.
“…Welcome home!”
The voice on the radio suddenly rose a degree.
"Let's welcome with applause——!"
"Number 7! Cristiano Ronaldo!!"
The whole Old Trafford seemed to be lit by a fuse, and the stadium suddenly erupted in large waves of cheers and screams, almost drowning out the sound on the radio!
Cristiano was almost stunned by the deafening cheers in his ears. He felt like he was being pushed and pushed onto the field by the cheers of the crowd.
He looked around and saw Manchester United fans in the stands shouting his name -
"Viva Cristiano Ronaldo! Viva Cristiano Ronaldo! Viva Cristiano Ronaldo!"
He even saw a boy wearing a Manchester United jersey, a Real Madrid scarf, and holding up a handwritten sign that read "Wee Home! RONALDO!".
Cristiano blinked, took a few deep breaths, and ran quickly to his teammates.
He looked at Kaka, who was also looking at him and smiling at him.
The main players of Real Madrid were stunned by such a scene. No one had ever seen such a scene before, and they looked at each other in surprise.
For the first time, Ramos really realised how much Cristiano was loved and admired in Manchester.
He looked at Cristiano. The Portuguese boy's ears and the skin under his eyes were slightly red. He seemed to be surprised, satisfied, happy, and had many other complex emotions that were difficult to see clearly.
Ramos applauded along with the Manchester United fans.
Cristiano looked at Ramos and curled the corners of his mouth.
Ferguson watched Cristiano raise his head and face the fans in the stands, standing there as if in response. He felt a tightness and pain in his chest, and he involuntarily strode to the announcer on the sidelines.
He lowered his voice and said to the announcer: "Please repeat Cristiano Ronaldo's name one last time, thank you."
The announcer paused, then he nodded.
This is the first time the prince of Old Trafford has returned to this stadium since leaving home.
"Wee home! Cristiano Ronaldo!"
Cristiano looked towards the sidelines and met Ferguson's gaze. The older man nodded slightly with a gentle expression, a hint of smile and nostalgia, then he gently rubbed his palms together with everyone else.
"Wee home, Ronnie." Ferguson said softly.
Cristiano took a deep breath and smiled widely in Ferguson's direction, which caused the fans in the stands to burst into even louder screams and cheers.
"Those people really love Cristiano," Benzema whispered.
Kaka heard what the other party said, he paused, and then asked: "Are you talking about those fans?"
"Yes." Benzema nodded.
"Those people love heroes," Kaka said, "and the memories of their heroes' glory."
Ramos commented: "It sounds a bit negative, but it seems to be nothing wrong."
Kaka raised the corner of his mouth, smiled silently, then looked in Ferguson's direction and said, "But there are indeed many people here who love Chris, and those people are very important to Chris."
"We love him too," Ramos said, frowning.
Kaka glanced at Ramos: "Because he is a teammate, or because he is Cristiano?"
"What's the problem? Does it make any difference?" Ramos frowned even more.
But this time Kaka did not answer him, but greeted Cristiano. The two of them high-fived each other. Kaka lightly crossed his fingers with him and then quickly separated.
Ramos looked at Kaka and Cristiano, and curled his lips. Kaka's questions were always confusing.
The competition officially begins.
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