“It’s just a number,” Mariano Díaz said. But it isn’t. Over on the touchline, the fourth official held up the board. Coming off: No 11, coming on: No 7. Mariano stood and waited for Gareth Bale, wearing the shirt Cristiano Ronaldo wore for eight of the nine years he spent at Real Madrid until his departure this summer, that Raúl González Blanco wore for the 16 years before that and Emilio Butragueño wore for the 12 years before that. Thirty-six years, 14 league titles, seven European Cups and 911 goals later, it was his. No pressure, kid. As he waited, Julen Lopetegui approached. “I told him to stick it in the top corner,” the manager joked. “And he did what I said.”
Related: Cristiano Ronaldo sent off but 10-man Juventus go on to beat Valencia
Written by Sid Lowe in Madrid
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/sep/20/mariano-diaz-real-madrid-new-no7-cristiano-ronaldo under the title “Who needs Ronaldo? Real Madrid’s new No 7 Mariano takes centre stage”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
