Grown men and women sardonically imitated Cristiano Ronaldo's celebration in the open area of the away end at the Gewiss Stadium on Tuesday night, as Manchester United supporters savoured their lock-in.
Ronaldo can bring out the child in adults and is the only transfer who could merit an Instagram from Roy Keane. "Welcome back Cristiano," Keane wrote in August, accompanied by a picture of the pair celebrating Ronaldo's first Manchester derby goal.
Keane always had a soft spot for Ronaldo. He gives the impression that bursting into tears in defeat warrants a suspension but put his arm around a red-eyed Ronaldo after United's FA Cup final defeat to Arsenal in 2005.
Ronaldo hails from Madeira and Keane Cork, their apprenticeships served at environments as diverse as Sporting Lisbon and Cobh Ramblers. Theirs is a 14-and-a-half year age-gap yet they are kindred spirits bound by an absolute hatred of losing.
Watch Ronaldo's second goal against Atalanta back and the charge towards goal in the seconds before he larruped the ball is reminiscent of Keane's drives. It seemed impossible for there to be a more driven footballer than Keane yet he was in management at the age of 36. Ronaldo is 37 in February.
“I had a good relationship with Keane," Ronaldo recalled. "I was very pleased that a great player with a big name in football told the manager to sign me."
Nearly 11 years on from that recommendation, the sun kissed the Allianz Arena as it glowed red at dusk. Inside the bowl, Bayern Munich supporters simmered and turned a similar shade, embarrassed by a 4-0 battering by Real Madrid.
Ronaldo had inflicted personal embarrassment on Manuel Neuer, beating him with a free-kick hit under a Bayern wall with shaky foundations. At full-time, he celebrated the demolition of the Champions League holders in a corner of the stadium, looking high up at the Madrid followers planning their first Champions League final in 12 years.
Ronaldo then noticed one of the pitchside pundits and broke away from the celebrations. Keane opts for a death stare with most but his eyes lit up at the sight of Ronaldo. The pair clasped hands, exchanged pleasantries and Ronaldo received the thumbs up. That is Keane's equivalent of awarding the Medal of Honor.
Keane headbutted Peter Schmeichel, caned Dwight Yorke, chased Gary Neville around the Highfield Road dressing room, shoved Phil, scolded Mark Bosnich in his first day, and cut Rio Ferdinand down to size. He made an allowance for Ronaldo.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was so tight with Keane during their playing days they took in a Bob Dylan concert on the 2003 pre-season tour of the United States. It was during lockdown last year, when The Last Dance was top of the Netflix charts, that he likened Keane to Michael Jordan. Ronaldo earned that privilege in midweek.
"I'm sure Chicago Bulls didn't mind having Michael Jordan, either," Solskjaer said in Bergamo. "Sometimes the teams have the players they have and that's why they are at Man United and why they are champions at Chicago Bulls, you come up with those moments."
Eighteen months ago, Solskjaer remarked: "Michael Jordan, as a leader, you think Roy Keane straight away." Ronaldo is just as inspirational and worthy of inheriting the armband at United. Teammates were in awe of Ronaldo after his 'introductory' speech at The Lowry Hotel on the eve of his second debut.
Keane liked Ronaldo immediately and approved of the way he carried his arrogance. He noticed he was always in front of a mirror but accepted Ronaldo could get away with it. Keane was not as understanding of some of his more modest-looking teammates. He once chided Ruud van Nistelrooy for perfecting his hair ahead of an interview with MUTV.
"He was good-looking and he knew it. He was vain in that sense - at the mirror. He was a big lad, a big unit. I'd think, 'Good on yeh.' Looking at some of the other lads in the mirror, I'd think, 'Yeh f-----g nugget.' But Ronaldo had an innocence to him, and a niceness."
Keane could exhibit that arrogance after a crucial goal. Think the young, angry man against West Ham in 1997, his equaliser at Highbury in 1999 or the contest-killing fourth past Arsenal in the 6-1 rout.
Ronaldo used to bemoan the Manchester weather in conversations with Keane, a mellower footballer (if you can believe that) after his hip operation in 2002. He was understanding. "The good thing about Cristiano is there is still so much more to come from him," Keane said during Ronaldo's first season with United.
Like Keane often did, Ronaldo is repeatedly pulling United out of the mire. His goals have secured all seven of their Champions League points and he has struck two matchwinners in the Premier League.
At full-time in midweek, Ronaldo was jogging towards the tunnel and nodding approvingly as the Atalanta ultras jeered him. His exit was delayed by having to pose with the man of the match orb and the obligatory interview.
The Atalanta fans whistled louder in an attempt to disrupt Ronaldo's pitchside debrief. Once finished, he eyed the thousands in the curva nord and pressed his finger against his lips. He had had the last word.
"Ronaldo or Messi?" Gary Neville asked Keane during their walk through the Cheshire woodlands.
"Ronaldo, every day of the week." Ronaldo makes men weak at the knees. But still strong enough to 'siiiu'.
