72YO Portugal Legend Set to Be Ditched for Al Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo as Boyhood Club Sporting CP Announces Tribute

Al Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo is on the verge of receiving another honor from Sporting CP. The Gate No.7 of the Jose Alvalade stadium, the home ground of Sporting CP, is set to be renamed after Cristiano Ronaldo. CR7 already has an airport named after him in Funchal, Portugal. These tributes to the soccer star are a gesture of showing their respect and pride for the Portuguese winger. However, a former Sporting icon is being ditched in the process by Sporting CP.

Tributes are a good gesture to show your respect for a star who has taken your name to the global level. But amidst this, is it right to forget another club legend?

There’s no one like Cristiano Ronaldo

The gate no.7 is currently named after the Sporting CP legend Manuel Fernandes. Fernandes has over 200 caps for the club and has scored more than 120 goals. Despite his contributions, it seems like Sporting has another young talent risen from their academy as their favorite to replace the 72-year-old icon.

It’s not yet finalized yet but there’s a high possibility that the gate no.7 of Alvalade Stadium will be renamed after Cristiano Ronaldo. There’s a proposal submitted and voting will be held to decide the outcome. The members of the General Assembly will be voting on the proposal soon.

This gesture of replacing one icon with another comes across as confusing. The question thus arises in the minds of the fans and supporters is it right to ditch one icon for another? and what possible good can come out of it? The number 7 is highly synonymous with Cristiano Ronaldo but maybe he too wouldn’t like the idea behind a name change.

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Associating stands and gates or stadiums has been a common way to show respect and remember the iconic players of the club by many soccer clubs. The iconic Johann Cruyff Arena, the home ground of Ajax to the Billy Bonds stand at West Ham’s London Stadium, each club has its own icons who they want to be cherished forever.

Named in the hearts of the supporters forever

Billy Bonds is a West Ham legend. Bonds played for West Ham for more than 20 years during which he capped over 600 appearances for the club. It was in 2019 that West Ham decided to name their East Stand as the Billy Bonds stand. Bonds was ecstatic over the name change as he received the great honor while stating how much it meant to him and his family.

Another famous stand is Sir Kenny Dalglish stand at Anfield. Sir Kenny Dalglish is a club legend who has capped over 300 games for the Reds. He has scored over 100 goals for the club having played from 1977-1990. Sir Kenny Dalglish also acted as a player-manager in the 1980s until resigning in 1991. With contributions made on both fronts, he’s one of the most well-known names among soccer fans.

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There are many stadiums named after a club’s iconic player like the Johann Cruyff Arena of Ajax or even by countries like the Estadio Diego Armando Maradona in Argentina. These gestures remind us that the legends of football are not just remembered but cherished, and their legacies continue to inspire generations of fans worldwide. Does your soccer club have something similar? Let us know in the comments below.