Cristiano Ronaldo’s rumored transfer to Manchester United is back on after a host of Red Devils orchestrated a plane message to fly over Real Madrid’s next game, which will declare, “Come Home Ronaldo.”
United fans have paid over $5,000 for the plane to fly over Madrid’s match with Villarreal on Saturday. This is designed as a ploy by supporters to convince officials in charge at the club to go through with a heavily speculated bid to bring the Portuguese icon back to Old Trafford.
You can check out the plane, which has already assembled the banner, and its message below .
What is it with Man Utd & banners? This ‘Come Home Ronaldo’ effort will fly over Villarreal v R.Madrid on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/94D8wt99nJ
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) September 24, 2014
This act of airborne seduction was concocted by Oli Grandidge, who founded the group that have paid the hefty sum for the banner. According to the Metro , he said of their mission, “We have active supporters on every continent of the world and we are all united by our love for Cristiano both as a football player and as a person. We won’t stop until we bring Ronaldo home. Members from all over the world have donated their own money and resources to fund a mid-game message, flown by plane, in a bid to demonstrate to Cristiano Ronaldo how much the United faithful still love and support him.”
Ever since Ronaldo left United in 2009, after a hugely successful six-year spell at the club, which saw him win three Premier League titles as well as one European Cup, the side’s loyal supporters have sung various songs about the forward at pretty much every home game. Most recently, this has included a chant that declares, “Put him on a plane, Bring him back from Spain, Viva Ronaldo.”
Over the last few days, it looked like United’s potential move for Ronaldo had been called off, after it was speculated that they didn’t want his acquisition to upset the bevy of new attacking players they’d bought.
This isn’t United fans’ first dalliance with a plane-banner. Last season, during their disastrous campaign with David Moyes at the helm, the club’s supporters paid for a message to be flown over Old Trafford that read, “Wrong One – Moyes Out.” A few games later, Moyes was sacked after a disastrous tenure in Manchester that saw United finish seventh in the table just a year after winning the Premier League title.
[Image via Milfondos]