A turnaround in 8 years! Morgan apologizes for Ronaldo s offside controversy. Is it an awakening of friendship or a traffic calculation?

On November 16, British celebrity Piers Morgan made a "belated apology" on social media, which once again focused football public opinion on Cristiano Ronaldo. He dug out his old tweets in 2017 criticizing Cristiano Ronaldo's controversial Champions League ball and publicly admitted that "I was wrong." From angrily claiming that Cristiano Ronaldo's goal was "obviously offside" and that Bayern was "robbed" eight years ago, to now insisting that "this goal is definitely not offside," Morgan's reversal of stance seems to be a cognitive correction under the "friendship filter". In fact, it forms a subtle echo with his recent frequent use of Cristiano Ronaldo's topic to harvest traffic, making this apology more like a carefully choreographed public opinion drama.

Going back to the Champions League in April 2017, the second leg of the quarter-finals between Real Madrid and Bayern was a classic. Ronaldo's two goals helped Real Madrid advance, but caused huge controversy due to suspicion of offside. At the time, Morgan was rude and directly criticized Vidal in a tweet: "It was wrong for Vidal to be sent off. Ronaldo's second goal was obviously offside. If Bayern loses, it will be robbed." This statement was widely recognized by Bayern fans at the time and became Morgan's signature statement for "criticizing Ronaldo". At that time, he had no interaction with Ronaldo, and his media personality, known for his sharp and outspoken media personality, made him accustomed to speaking out on the opposite side of the focus of controversy.

Eight years later, Morgan's position changed dramatically. The reason Morgan gave was "rethinking after becoming friends." This explanation seems reasonable, but it is difficult to cover up the subtlety of the timeline - just two days before the apology, he posted a video on social platforms to support Ronaldo, who was stained red due to an elbow hit, and even posted a clip of Messi's similar actions that were not punished, pointing out the "double standard" penalty imposed by the referee. Prior to this, his exclusive interview with Cristiano Ronaldo had nearly 10 million views on a single platform, and a total of 165 million views on the entire network, giving him a sure win in the media traffic war. From supporting to apologizing, behind the intensive operations related to Cristiano Ronaldo is the precise control of traffic passwords-any topic of this top football player can bring him considerable attention.

Putting aside traffic logic, the core of this controversy - whether Ronaldo's goal was offside, seems to still have room for discussion today. In 2017, VAR technology has not yet been fully popularized in the Champions League, and referees rely more on naked eye observation. The millisecond difference between Ronaldo's body posture at the moment of scoring and the timing of the pass made the offside controversy an unresolved issue. Today, eight years later, Morgan's conclusion that "there is absolutely no offside" is not based on a more accurate technical review, but stems from a change in personal stance. This "friendship first" judgment standard is in sharp contrast to the "objective criticism" he advertised back then, and also made the apology lose its technical persuasiveness.

Morgan's reversal is not an isolated case. In the field of football public opinion, the evaluation logic of "position before facts" has long been common. The bar for objectivity and fairness is often tilted when commentators develop personal connections with stars or cater to specific audiences. Morgan himself may not have expected that the critical tweet he posted eight years ago would now become evidence of netizens attacking him for his "double standards." This apology is not only a remedy for past remarks, but also a maintenance of one's own media personality. By showing a posture of "knowing mistakes and being able to correct them", it can not only consolidate the good relationship with Ronaldo, but also resolve public opinion disputes. It can be said to kill two birds with one stone.

For Cristiano Ronaldo, Morgan's apology is more like an insignificant "payment of votes." In the past eight years, he has grown from a core player of Real Madrid to a football legend. He has experienced countless controversial decisions and public opinion turmoil, and has long since learned to move forward amid doubts. Morgan's criticism has not affected his glory back then, and today's apology cannot add a new aura to him. But it is undeniable that Morgan's recent series of supportive actions have indeed created a more favorable public opinion environment for Ronaldo when he encountered the red card controversy. This kind of "friend-like support" may be the core reason for the close interaction between the two parties.

What is most worth pondering about this apology controversy is the impetuousness and utilitarianism of football public opinion. When media people regard the topic of sports stars as a traffic tool, and when public evaluations are influenced by personal positions, the facts themselves are often ignored. The offside controversy eight years ago has been concluded, but the apology eight years later has been reduced to a traffic gimmick. This is not only disrespectful to football itself, but also makes media comments lose their due credibility. Netizens' mocking comments, "Are you feeling uncomfortable if you don't touch Messi?" hit the core of the problem - when comments turn into "dislikes" and when apologies are mixed with calculations, the so-called "fairness" has long since disappeared.