Liverpool Fans Planning Cristiano Ronaldo Gesture Inside Anfield Tonight After Death Of His Son
Rivalry means nothing in a moment like this.
Liverpool fans are planning a minute's applause in the seventh minute of their game with Manchester United - following the tragic death of Cristiano Ronaldo's newborn son.
The 37-year-old released a joint statement with partner Georgina Rodriguez on Monday evening confirming the news, while also confirming the birth of a baby girl.
Liverpool welcome United to Anfield for an 8pm kick-off this evening and supporters are willing to put rivalry to one side to support Ronaldo in a difficult time.
A number of fans have tweeted those going to the game will clap in the seventh minute in a show of respect for Ronaldo and Rodriguez.
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One tweet reads: "I've just read that Liverpool fans are going to clap in support of Ronaldo on the 7th minute of the game tonight, please pass it on to anyone who is going. Tragedy has no colours."
Another said: "Rivalry to the side. Life is much more important than football rivalry."
While a third put: "I think our fans could show a bit of class tomorrow and show our support for Cristiano and his partner after losing their son. A minutes applause on the 7th minute reds? Show other fans what true compassion is. Rivalries mean nothing at times like this."
It would be a great show of solidarity, no doubt about that.
Ronaldo met Rodriguez in 2016 during his time at Real Madrid and she worked as a Gucci sales assistant.
The couple announced they were expecting twins back in October and they already have a daughter, Alana Martina, together.
Rodriguez is also step-mother to Cristiano Jr. and twins Eva and Mateo, who were born via surrogate in 2010 and 2017 respectively.
Cristiano Jr. is currently in United's academy and joined when his father returned to the club last summer.
Ronaldo has scored 21 goals in all competitions this campaign and is United's top scorer.
He scored a hat-trick in his last game, a 3-2 win over Norwich City on Saturday.
Tonight's game is crucial for both sides for a number of reasons.
Liverpool are battling Manchester City in the title race while United are keen to secure a place in the top four.
Defeats for Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal over the weekend mean United are back in it, after being as low as seventh in the table last week.
Topics: Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo, Liverpool, Premier League
Daniel Marland