Man, U Hear About Ronaldo?

Manchester United has been called the Yankees of the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) for several reasons. For one, Manchester United is one of the most celebrated club teams in European history—since 1986, at least, when Alex Ferguson became the team’s manager. In many ways, what George Steinbrenner is to the Yankees, Ferguson is to Manchester United. A member of England’s Premier League (England’s “division” of the UEFA) since its creation in 1992, Manchester United has won eleven of the seventeen Premier League Championships ever played. Many attribute this success to the managerial efforts of Ferguson, just as many attribute the Yankees’ success to the free spending of owner George Steinbrenner.

Next, their fanbase is one of the biggest in soccer. Since 1964, this club has had a higher average game attendance than other club in England. Rooting for Man-U is a tradition for just about everyone who lives anywhere near Manchester, England. But, like the Yankees, soccer fans from across the world support Manchester United. If you ever get a chance to visit Japan, or another non-American, baseball-playing nation, you’ll see Yankee merchandise everywhere. Similarly, outside England, even in America (if you can find a store selling soccer stuff), Manchester United products will crowd the shelves. It’s not uncommon to see a Yankee hat while walking the streets of LA, and it’s not uncommon to see a Man-U jersey while enjoying a pizza in Italy.

But, most importantly, Manchester United is worth more than other soccer team in the world. We all know that the stupidly-rich Yankees can afford to pay two players (A-Rod and CC) $369 million over the next seven years. But Manchester United is estimated to be worth more than any other franchise in all of sports! As of September 2008, the value of this club was approximated at $1.8 billion, compared to the Yankees’ 2006 estimate at just over $1 billion. Regardless of how much each is worth, both teams are just plain loaded. But on June 11, Planet Earth’s richest sporting team didn’t make news by acquiring a big-name player, like their trans-Atlantic counterpart normally does. Instead, they dealt their best player, Christiano Ronaldo to another club, Real Madrid for a sum of $129 million. The Yankees were involved in a similarly shocking maneuver that took place way back in 1919. But instead of selling their best player, the Yanks bought Babe Ruth from the Red Sox that year, and in the process cursed the BoSox for the following 86 years. This time, although the cards are reversed, I predict that Manchester United will be haunted by the curse of Christiano Ronaldo for the next 68 years.