By Bernd Fisa
January 15 – There was a touching and humbling backstage aside at the Ballon D’Or Awards earlier this week when Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar paid tribute to former Glasgow Rangers captain and Dutch international Fernando Ricksen.
When Ricksen entered the exclusive player’s lounge at the Ballon D’Or award ceremony in Zürich the whole room stood up for him. The silence only lasted a moment, while the world’s most famous faces in football were recovering from the obvious surprise to find someone among them, a footballer among footballers, of course, but one who has been sentenced to death by an incurable disease.
This wave of support must have felt like the ultimate standing ovation for Ricksen. In September 2013 the 39 year old former defender was diagnosed with MND (motor neurone disease) also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, a degenerative illness that affects the whole body. It stars with a shortness of breath, then the inability to pronounce certain letters, followed soon after by a loss of control over your arms and hands. At the end of the day someone with such a diagnosis is completely paralyzed and confined to a bed.
MND is fatal and incurable. A patient has a maximum of three years to live. At least that’s what the doctors told Ricksen. But he isn’t the sort of person that sees quitting as an option.
Ricksen has experienced a rollercoaster of highs and lows in both his personal and professional life. As a footballer, he carved out a fearsome reputation for Rangers, Zenit St. Petersburg (with whom he won the UEFA Cup in 2008) and the Netherlands. His aggressive approach won him hero status among his fans. Off the field he was just a dynamic a force, finding himself on the front pages of the national newspapers as often as in the sports sections.
Instead of giving up Ricksen is now leading the fight against MND. “I am convinced we can make the impossible possible and overcome the illness one day. Somebody somewhere is going to defeat this monster and I would like that person to be me. I would like to be the first to overcome MND.” His postitive attitude towards life has become a model for many people. “I simply refuse to go within those three years. Of course I am scared at times, but I have good days as well,” he writes in his autobiography ‘Fighting Spirit’.
Monday night must have been one of those good days. Backstage at the Ballon D’Or Cristiano Ronaldo was the first to approach Fernando. CR7 also signed some of the Lionbrand tops with Fernando’s number 2 that help raise funds and awareness for the fight against this cruel and cowardly disease. “Great to have you with us.” he said as he hugged Ricksen. “Remember that whenever you want to come to Madrid to watch a game from Real you will be my guest and I personally will look after you.” Then Neymar, Dani Alves, Leo Messi, Marcelo, Iniesta, Paul Pogba and the rest of the best of the world squad followed.
The pictures were tweeted by Fernando’s wife Veronika. She paid her own tribute to her husband posting. ‘Proud of you my love’. Ricksen had difficulties in holding back his tears – it was the moment he had been dreamed of for years. Or at least since 2013, when he was diagnosed.
“Amazing! Cristiano, Leo, Neymar, all of them – they are such fantastic people. They made me feel like a king.”
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