A Century's Tale of Sacrifice

Tale of Sacrifice "Friendship is like an ever-fragrant, eternal flower." The story of Albert Fantrau, a selfless and sacrificing friend, is truly inspiring.

Cristiano Ronaldo is a legendary name in football—it's nearly impossible to imagine the football world without mentioning Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. While Lionel Messi, at one point, was in such poor health that he almost couldn’t play football but still rose to become a legend and a world champion, Cristiano Ronaldo’s journey stands out as a tale of sacrifice. Today, we are talking about the story of the man behind that sacrifice, Albert Fantrau.

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Many success stories across different fields include instances of being belittled by relatives and helped by friends. Friendship is like an eternal flower that always radiates a sweet fragrance. You must believe it when we say that Cristiano Ronaldo reached where he is today because of a friend’s help. During a TV interview, when the name Albert Fantrau came up, Ronaldo mentioned that the luxurious life he lives now is also provided to his friend through his own earnings. He and Fantrau were childhood friends and teammates in the same football club. During their childhood, scouts—those who identify young talent for professional sports—were constantly on the lookout for the next generation of football stars. These scouts, once they identify talented players, recommend them to big football clubs for professional training. This process is also seen in modern-day IPL cricket selections.

Pic Source Medium.com

A scout from Sporting Lisbon, a famous football academy in Portugal, came to watch a match where both Ronaldo and Fantrau were playing. The scout announced that only one spot was available at the academy and whoever scored the most goals in that match would be selected. In the match, Ronaldo scored the first goal, and Fantrau soon scored his first goal too. Near the end of the match, Fantrau had a clear shot at the goal, but instead of taking it, he deliberately passed the ball to Ronaldo, who scored his second goal and was selected for the academy.

After the match, Ronaldo asked Fantrau why he passed the ball even though he had a clear chance himself. Fantrau simply replied, "You are better than me." That match marked the end of Fantrau’s football career but was the beginning of Ronaldo’s legendary journey.

The story of Alberto came to light, when a journalist asked Fantrau, who was then unemployed but living a luxurious life, how that was possible, he replied, "All this was given to me by Cristiano Ronaldo." At that moment, Winston Churchill's quote comes to mind: "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."How true those words are!

In today’s world, are friendships truly selfless? Will this story reduce the number of friends who envy others' success instead of celebrating it? The value of friendship is often greater and more enduring than even blood relations. The lesson we can all learn from the story of Cristiano and Albert is this: We should never forget the people who stood by us during our tough times, always remain grateful to them, and forever support the rise of a friend who is more talented than us.