17 Dec 2007(Mon)

December 15, 2007: Attention, Reds fans! A couple of things to discuss.

Yes, you have made a big impact in the Asian Champions League and in the FIFA Club World Cup, supporting your team in large numbers around the continent.

You have even managed to bring some atmosphere to the Club World Cup/Toyota Cup, which usually resembles a training match when the calls of the players can be heard over a silent, theatre-like audience.

But booing a legend like Paolo Maldini!

What's that all about?

Really, Maldini is a role model in his attitude, loyalty and professionalism; a gentleman and a brilliant footballer.

So when a player of his stature comes on for the last 10 minutes against your own team, he should be treated with the respect his career has earned. Maldini is class. Booing him, just because it is expected, is not -- and Reds fans should try to differentiate between the two.

Booing Tsuchiya because of his foul on Tatsuya Tanaka, or booing the former Olympic coach Yamamoto when he went to Saitama Stadium with Jubilo, is one thing; and Reds fans will feel their actions on these specific occasions were justified. As a football fan, I do not have a problem with that. It is part of the game, and the targets must learn to live with it.

But Maldini?

Wouldn't it have been wonderful for the game if Maldini had been greeted by thunderous applause around the ground, rather than just from the many Japanese fans of Milan at Yokohama. Even the Inter fans don't boo Maldini.

Maybe Reds fans can learn some humility from FC Tokyo fans over at Ajinomoto Stadium. I remember once being very impressed with the Tokyo fans when Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi returned as goalkeeper for Jubilo Iwata.

On a smaller scale, Yoshi is a legend, too, a gentleman, a great ambassador for the game, and the Tokyo "ultras" behind the goal gave him a standing ovation as he ran towards them.

Having been brought up in the hooligan years in England, I half-expected the cheers and the applause to turn to catcalls and "V-signs" when the keeper acknowledged the reception...but no, the Tokyo fans showed their class.

Booing Maldini? Come on Reds fans, you can do better than that.

ends