The red card and Ronaldo's return were the biggest stories that emerged from Real Madrid win over Manchester United on Tuesday. But the biggest story came before the game and has permeated well after.
When Sir Alex Ferguson announced his starting lineup for the crucial tilt, he left out former franchise cornerstone Wayne Rooney. His exclusion from the starter 11 of Manchester biggest match implied that Rooney was no longer looked upon as an essential piece in Ferguson's plans. News.com.au notes that the Rooney's position is not new in Manchester history; more importantly, players that were placed in similar circumstances were sold at the end of the season.
"David Beckham was left out of against Real Madrid in 2003 and sold at the end of the season... Ruud Van Nistelrooy was left out of the Carling Cup Final in 2006 and was sold at the end of that season," writes the publication.
UK publication The Independent notes that the relationship between Ferguson and Rooney has been strained over the last few months and the manager's decision on Tuesday may have been a breaking point.
Rooney is no longer the franchise star of the team; that honor now belongs to Robin Van Persie. Rooney currently has two years left on his contract and his benching on Tuesday surely indicates that he will not get resigned with the team.
As The Independent writes, "The writing is on the wall."