Whatever Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo did at Vicente Calderon Stadium on Saturday night, he was never likely to leave having made any new friends. Some sections of Atletico's support are notoriously unpleasant -- choruses of "Mourinho die" and the monkey chant, the ever-present scourge of soccer in a country not yet fully accustomed to immigration, are two unsavory examples -- so it was perhaps surprising that the headlines on Sunday morning were dominated by Ronaldo's ball-juggling antics in the first half. Apparently, showing off his exceptional skill caused the more sensitive members of Atletico's team to cry foul.
But isn't that Ronaldo's job? People pay good money -- a sizeable chunk of which fills the players' bank accounts with a preposterous sum each week -- to go to soccer matches, and they do so to be entertained.
"I am not here for you to make fun of me," Patrice Evra once famously told Ronaldo in training at Manchester United. "If you do your tricks on me, I will break your legs and rip up your shirt."
It is fair for a teammate to request not to be made a fool of, but opposition defenders are there for precisely that reason.
There is an increasingly cacophonous voice among paid professionals for the game's entertainers to tone it down, and it is to the benefit of supporters that players like Ronaldo and his countryman Nani -- who plies his trade of step-overs and dribbling skills at Man United -- largely ignore it. To take outrageous skill out of the sport is akin to removing punches from boxing or the hoop from basketball; remove the possibility of seeing a piece of magic and the essence of the sport is lost.
George Best was arguably the most skillful player ever to grace the field, and despite a comparatively short career at the highest level and his Northern Irish blood, he is rightly considered one of the greats of the game. All the silverware and awards in the sport do not allow less-talented players to linger long in the collective mind.
Love him or loathe him, there is little more satisfying than watching Ronaldo in full showmanship mode. The Portuguese possesses a unique ability to entertain. If it upsets opposition defenders, perhaps they should consider a universal law of business -- the customer is always right.
Here are three other Liga players with that special touch:
Xabi Prieto:
The owner of the "Prietinha," a curious yet dazzling ball-dragging technique, Prieto has spent his entire career at Real Sociedad and played a handful of times for Spain's under-21 team. If he played for most other countries, he would likely have made a full international debut, but breaking into La Roja's midfield is understandably difficult. Prieto may be wearing the red of Liverpool next season, if Real thinks the 10 million euros Anfield is willing to shell out suitable. It will be the Premier League's gain and La Liga's loss if the sparkling winger signs.
Iker Muniain:
The Athletic Bilbao youngster is a box of tricks and has a remarkable ability to stay on his feet, something all too rare in soccer today. Just 18 years old, Muniain has played over 50 matches for the Basque side and earned a call-up to the under-21s earlier this year. The possessor of possibly the worst haircut in the league, Muniain is a wonderful talent and the future of the national team's midfield playmaker role.
Pablo Sarabia:
Not yet a first-team regular at Real Madrid, Sarabia is a winger/attacking midfielder with speed of mind and feet who made his debut against Auxerre in the Champions League this season. Fittingly, he replaced Ronaldo. If Sarabia stays at Real, he could eventually own the position. Unfortunately, for Real fans at least, the club's track record in retaining its homegrown talent does not bode well for Sarabia. His agent has said that he will be holding talks with Real at season's end, but as Sergio Canales has discovered, breaking into the first team is a tall order. Arsenal is poised to take full advantage of the situation.