Ronaldo and Dr M: will fans allow them a quiet exit?

 

From Clement Stanley

It was sad to see Portugal bow out of Euro 2024 as a result of a penalty shootout.

Most football analysts have attributed the failure of the Portuguese team to an over- dependence on 39-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo to deliver the goods despite having a dependable striker in Diogo Jota.

Coach Robert Martinez must share the blame for believing that Ronaldo, who was outpaced by younger players time and again in Euro 2024, would be able to deliver in this energy-sapping tournament.

Like it or not, Ronaldo can no longer deliver in International tournaments such as Euro 24 or the World Cup. The question begs, shouldn’t Ronaldo himself admit that he has gone past his prime at these levels ?

The problem here is this: there are people who simply choose to overstay their welcome, especially if they believe that only they can deliver.

Back home, we have, to a certain extent, a Ronaldo-like persona. One who plays not on a field, but a political arena, though he displays wiles similar to tricks Ronaldo is famed for.

His name is Dr Mahathir Mohamad. And like Ronaldo, he used to get past most of his opponents (and sometimes checkmates them), but maybe not of late. Just as younger players caught on to Ronaldo’s tricks, so has some politicians and voters, who can now anticipate this politician’s manoeuvres.

And like Martinez, there are a few who refuse to give this politician less playing time. And in some cases, turn to him and collaborate with him, too, for their own cause, despite the diminishing returns of late.

Just as Ronaldo taunts defenders, Mahathir habitually mocks his predecessors, such as Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib Razak, in condescending fashion.

Though unlike the former Real Madrid player who was never unkind to his ex-team mates, Mahathir now takes every opportunity to mock his one-time protege Anwar Ibrahim, the current prime minister.

Comparisons aside, if Malaysia aspires to be a progressive nation, it must not rely on ageing leaders, no matter how good their past contributions were. They were appreciated no doubt, but like a football team, the country needs new 

players

.

To fans of Portugal, are we ever going to see the infusion of fresh blood and new faces?

Or are the older generation hindering the rise of younger talent by clinging on to power or fame and overstaying their welcome?

The same could be asked of fans of ageing politicians who have nothing else to offer but the same old rhetoric. - FMT

Clement Stanley is an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.