Unpopular opinion: He was a gifted footballer but was a total piece of shit in nearly all other aspects of life including abusing women and minors, to say nothing of his complete lack of sportsmanship on the pitch. I hate that this guy gets lionized. To me it just underlines everything wrong with football.
I fail to see how "lionizing" someone for their performance or their actions in a specific domain undermines all the wrongs one has done in their life. Sure, perhaps most people will only remember him as a great footballer without talking about the wrong actions he has done during his life, but a) most of them wouldn't have cared anyway and b) one can still see both sides of the coin and admit one's wrongdoing despit…
It’s a question of the message sent to others: if the unpleasant parts are omitted or excused, there’s a good chance that some people will conclude that those things don’t matter if you’re successful enough. That attitude has negative effects on society since the bad behavior happens even if the success never does.