"
Far beyond football
".
It is with these simple words that Katia Aveiro, the sister of Cristiano Ronaldo, wanted to thank the Anfield public for their fantastic tribute to the deceased newborn child of Cristiano Ronaldo.
During the 7th minute of the match against Manchester United, all the Reds supporters began to applaud and intone a vibrant "
You'll never walk alone
", the famous club anthem whose words could not have been more appropriate than at this moment of deep pain for the Portuguese striker.
His other sister, Elma, also posted a message of thanks: “
Thank you for this moment Liverpool.
We will never forget what you did today for our family.
»
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For Jurgen Klöpp, the Liverpool coach, this 7th minute was "
the best moment of the meeting
", clearly won by his troops (4-0).
"
So many things are much more important in life than football, we are thinking of Cristiano and his family
," added the German technician.
"
That's exactly how football should be, with all rivalry put aside at this time of mourning.
There's only one thing that matters and that was a classy show.
All our thoughts from the moment we heard about it are with Cristiano and his family.
I can't even imagine how they are feeling right now…
”
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A moment of solidarity which is not a first in Liverpool, where the public knows how to both create a hostile atmosphere for the opposing team, but also put this hostility aside when the circumstances require it.
It is not for nothing that the fans of the Reds were elected by FIFA the best public in Europe in 2016 ex-aequo with that of Borussia Dortmund.
No one has forgotten, moreover, this heartbreaking moment, on April 14, 2016, when English and German supporters sang "
You'll never walk alone
" together before a quarter-final of the Europa League to pay tribute to the 96 victims of the Hillsbourg tragedy.
Or in a completely different register, more recently, the welcome given to Steven Gerrard, one of the legends of the Mersey club, back at Anfield as coach of Aston Villa.
No animosity was expressed at the time, just the love and recognition of supporters for a player who had made them dream for so many years.
As Jurgen Klöpp rightly said, in an ideal world, this should always be the case.
Unfortunately, it is not.
Except at Anfield where fair play and respect for life remain ancestral values, which cannot be overused on the altar of a sporting rivalry confined to the green meadow located in the middle of the stadium.
An example to follow, definitely.
