Ronaldo

by Luca Caioli

  It’s 2-1 to Portugal and now it falls to Cristiano to see his country through to the semi-finals. The camera zooms in close to show him pursing his lips and grimacing – he looks nervous. He jumps up and down a little to flatten the penalty spot, kisses the ball, and places it carefully. After a long hesitation, he takes his run-up, pauses briefly, and shoots.

  Goaaaaaaal! Ronaldo tips his head back and shouts to the heavens, while the fans and the team go wild. He points to the sky, dedicating the goal to his father. ‘I was full of confidence and I shoot strong [sic],’ he says afterwards. England are on their way home, just as they were in 2004. On that occasion it was David Beckham who missed. This time round he is out injured.

  At the FIFA World Cup Stadium in Munich on 5 July, Portugal face Zinedine Zidane’s France, who have surprised everyone by knocking out World Cup favourites, Ronaldinho’s Brazil. Portugal are off to a good start, making mincemeat of the French, thanks to some excellent play from Figo, Cristiano Ronaldo and Deco. But in the 33rd minute Thierry Henry gets into the box and Ricardo Carvalho goes to tackle him. Carvalho stumbles and falls and his outstretched leg trips up Henry. Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda calls a penalty, provoking anger and disbelief in Scolari’s camp. But there is nothing they can do.

  Captain Zidane steps up to the mark. The France number 10 takes a short run up and shoots towards the post, too far out of Ricardo’s reach. It’s 1-0, and it will stay that way until the final whistle as Patrick Vieira and Claude Makélélé ensure their defence is not broken again. Portugal get the ball, they try their best to push forwards, Figo and Cristiano charge up the wing, but every attempt is blocked by the French and their Maginot Line. The only real scare for Fabien Barthez is a direct free kick from Cristiano which flies straight towards his gloves. The French goalie tries to hold onto it, but it deflects, giving Figo the chance for a header. He misses by a whisker.

  The match ends with Cristiano crying as he did after the Euro 2004 final, and with Zidane consoling his ex-Real team-mate Luís Figo, who has played his final match for Portugal. Once again, the French have swiped a final out from under Portugal’s nose. When they did it in Euro 2000, it was thanks to a goal from Henry and a Zidane penalty in extra time.

  France are headed for the final against Italy in Berlin – the final of Zidane’s headbutt and a fourth World Cup win for Italy. On 8 July, Portugal are defeated 3-1 by Germany in the race for third place at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion in Stuttgart. The World Cup is over for Scolari’s men.

  Now let’s go back to the 62nd minute of the Portugal-England match, seeing as how all hell has broken loose. The English fans and commentators are convinced that Ronaldo has convinced Horacio Elizondo to pull a red card on Roo, and they hold him ultimately responsible for England’s defeat. They believe that, knowing his United team-mate’s character, he did everything he could to make him snap.

  But Cristiano doesn’t care what they think. ‘I am not a referee and I don’t have the power to send off a player. I had nothing to do with the fact that the referee showed the red card,’ he insists. Elizondo is equally disinterested, telling The Times: ‘People can say what they want [about Ronaldo] but this had absolutely no influence. In general I don’t pay much attention to that sort of thing because I don’t care about the pressure on my shoulders during a match. For me it was violent play, a clear red card.’

  Ricardo’s statement to the press does little to help: ‘When someone loses there always has to be a scapegoat. I don’t think Ronaldo influenced the ref. He was right there to see the action for himself.’ Neither does Rooney’s own statement: ‘I bear no ill feeling to Cristiano but am disappointed he chose to get involved.’

  The British tabloids discuss the matter in great detail, each offering completely different versions. The Sun writes that Rooney threatened to rip his team-mate a new one when they both got back to Manchester. It also claims that United will be showing Cristiano the door after his ‘shameful’ World Cup behaviour. The claim is unfounded, but apparently Cristiano hasn’t taken it well. Sir Alex has tried to call him but has his old number, or so the story goes.

  Everyone who is anyone weighs in on the debate. Former England striker Alan Shearer suggests that when Cristiano rocks up at training at Man United, Rooney should ‘stick him one’. ‘How could he do that to a team-mate?’ asks Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard. ‘It’s unbelievable. If one of my team-mates did the same, I’d never speak to them again.’ Meanwhile, Tottenham manager Martin Jol maintains that ‘the biggest disgrace of all was Cristiano Ronaldo because he tried to influence the referee. What about sporting values?’

  The message from the English fans is harsh: they have no intention of forgiving the United number 7. ‘I don’t want to see Ronaldo back at Man United’, ‘He is a disgrace to the sport’ and ‘You don’t betray a friend like that’ are just a few of the comments posted online.

  Ronaldo immediately hits back, explaining that there are no issues between him and Rooney. ‘At the end we texted each other and between us everything’s been cleared. He wished me the best of luck in the World Cup,’ says the Portuguese. ‘He told me that we had a great team and that if we continued to play like this, we would go far. He wasn’t angry with me and, moreover, he told me to completely ignore what the English press has said, that all they wanted was to create confusion, but we are already used to that.’ He adds: ‘The things that have been said regarding me and my team-mate and friend Rooney are incredible.’

  But the saga doesn’t end there, not even when Ronaldo promises to call his team-mate and clear everything up. What is getting under the skin of the fans, the media and everyone else, is the image captured on camera at the moment that Rooney was sent off – Ronaldo winking in the direction of the Portugal dugout, as if to say, ‘mission accomplished, we’ve had him sent off’. Try as he might to explain that his wink at Scolari was to show that he had understood what position he should move into on the pitch, no one wants to hear it.

  The media take the perceived offence to heart and launch a campaign against Ronaldo. On 3 June, the front cover of The Sun shows a picture of Ronaldo’s head on a dartboard, his winking eye positioned over the bullseye. ‘Give Ron one in the eye,’ suggests the headline. The article reads as follows: ‘Here’s every England fan’s chance to get revenge on the world’s biggest winker. Our human dartboard shows Portuguese nancy boy Cristiano Ronaldo. The Manchester United midfielder is caught in the act of winking to his team-mates after helping to get England and United star Wayne Rooney sent off. We’ve made Ronaldo’s wink the bullseye. So put it up in your office – and give the sly señor one in the eye.’ No comment.

  The drama refuses to subside, continuing through July and August. Alex Ferguson and United chief executive David Gill fly to Vale Do Lobo in the Algarve to talk to Cristiano. He says that he doesn’t want to return to England, he wants to go to Spain, to either Barça or Real. He doesn’t feel that the club has supported him throughout this ordeal. He explains his concerns to the coach: he is afraid of the press and the possible reactions from opposition fans if he returns to play on English soil.

  Sir Alex tells him that Man United knows how to handle these kinds of situations. They dealt with people burning Beckham’s photo outside London pubs after the English captain was sent off in the 1998 World Cup for kicking Argentine midfielder Simeone. He tells Cristiano that the English fans’ bark is worse than their bite. They will boo him from the stands, but that will be it. They tell him that they have arranged a new house for him inside the club grounds, completely protected from outsiders. Eventually, they persuade him to come home and face the music.

  In Macclesfield, where United are doing their preseason training, Cristiano and Wayne Rooney make their peace with each other. The coach has requested that they spend 45 minutes talking face to face, in order to hear each other out. The Portuguese striker avoids all the media, entering and leaving through a side door.

  He later breaks his silence in an int
erview with FourFourTwo magazine. ‘We were on opposite sides at the World Cup,’ he says. ‘There’s no problem. There are no personal differences. It’s all in the past. It’s not an issue, it’s gone and life goes on.’ Or does it?

  Chapter 13

  Champagne

  ‘The pressure only makes me stronger.’

  Faced with a tough situation there are only two options: drown in your misery and never recover, or fight it with all your strength. Cristiano Ronaldo prefers the latter. In the face of accusations from the tabloids, threats, letters which arrive containing white powder (fake anthrax, a popular choice of threat at the time), the Man United number 7 pushes aside all thought of fleeing from his troubles. He returns to England and focuses on demonstrating not only his footballing talent, but the strength of character he developed during those difficult years in Lisbon.

  ‘I managed to show that the pressure only makes me stronger,’ writes Cristiano in his autobiography Moments. ‘I tested myself and I came out victorious. Right from the beginning of the season I tried my best to relax and I put up an icy barrier during the matches where everyone was booing me continuously. I ignored them and they became an additional reason to stay motivated.’

  One such occasion is 23 August 2006, the second matchday of the Premier League. United are away to Charlton at The Valley. When Ronaldo comes onto the pitch, it is as if a collective desire for vengeance radiates down from the stands. The entire crowd whistles, boos and hurls insults. But just before the halftime whistle, the United number 7 gets hold of the ball, dodges round one player and sends the ball smashing into the crossbar. The crowd falls silent, suddenly afraid of him, afraid of the possibility of him burying their team.

  At the end of the match (3-0 to United) Ferguson takes Cristiano aside. ‘You have found the correct response,’ he tells him. ‘You can silence them with your talents. You should never be afraid to show them what you can do. Show them your courage.’

  Ronaldo will do just that throughout the rest of the season. The Germany World Cup and the continuous criticism he has had to bear have made him grow up quickly. He looks a bit different than he did a few months earlier – more serious, more determined, less of the arrogant little kid. He works hard, exerting himself more than anyone in training. He improves on both a physical and a tactical level. He is more thoughtful on the pitch and he gets on better with his team-mates. He has taken to heart all the advice given by Ferguson and Carlos Queiroz – the Portuguese coach who, after a lacklustre season at Real Madrid, has returned to Manchester. Now Cristiano knows when to dribble, when he’s done enough running on the wing, when to pass and when to shoot. He is better at interpreting the game and being more measured with his efforts. He is starting to see results, at an individual level as much as at team level.

  On 22 April 2007, Cristiano Ronaldo is named the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year, beating shortlisted team-mates Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, as well as opponents Steven Gerrard, Didier Drogba and Cesc Fàbregas. Ronaldo is the seventh United player to win the award, after Mark Hughes, Gary Pallister, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Teddy Sheringham and Ruud van Nistelrooy. But Cristiano also takes home the PFA Young Player of the Year, becoming the first in 30 years to win both – the last was Aston Villa’s Andy Gray in 1977. He is also included in the PFA 2007 Premier League Team of the Year.

  It’s the first time he has won individual recognition. He knew that his season at Man United had been a good one, but in all honesty he had not believed he would win any trophies against such tough competition. The news comes as a big surprise and at the presentation ceremony in a London hotel he is nervous and excited. He is accompanied by Jorge Mendes, Man United icon Bobby Charlton and Sir Alex. The Scottish coach is charged with announcing the winner and runners-up. First he announces Paul Scholes in third place and Didier Drogba in second. Then, with a big smile on his face, he says: ‘In first place … the winner is … Cristiano.’

  In a black suit, white shirt and bow tie, Ronaldo gets up from his table, hugs Mendes and his brother-in-law Zé, and goes up on stage. He takes the trophy from Ferguson and watches the video clip in which the organisers explain why he has won. Then it’s his chance to respond to the presenter’s questions, but not before he thanks his fellow PFA members who have voted for him, ‘because the players know the qualities of the players’. Here come the questions:

  ‘What does this trophy mean to you?’

  ‘It is amazing and a big honour for me to win trophies like this in the English Premier League. I am very proud. I am very happy for this. Thank you everyone, thank you to my family, thank you to my team, thank you to my manager.’

  ‘What is it about English football that you love so much?’

  ‘Well, this is why I sign five years more,’ replies Ronaldo, who nine days earlier on 13 April extended his United contract for a further five seasons. Concerned about possible interest from Real Madrid and Inter, the club’s directors have decided to lock in their Portuguese star. ‘I love this football. I’m enjoying it. I think this is the best football in the world. I’m enjoying playing here.’

  The presenter asks him about wearing the number 7 at United and then moves on to interview Sir Alex, who has no problem showering praise on his player: ‘At this moment in time I think he is the best player in the world and his season has been incredible.’

  Cristiano has the final word: ‘I want to keep working hard and getting better because these trophies have now given me more motivation.’ After the party a private plane is on hand to take Ronaldo and the United contingent straight back to Manchester. They have a match at Old Trafford two days later on 24 April – the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against AC Milan.

  Ronaldo scores the first goal of the match in the sixth minute. Thanks to a fired-up Kaká, Carlo Ancelotti’s men manage to pull it back to 1-2, but two goals from Wayne Rooney seal a 3-2 victory for the Red Devils. The return leg is on 2 May at the San Siro and it’s a whitewash. The final score is 3-0 to the Rossoneri and a humiliated Man United team must bid farewell to their Champions League dreams.

  Now it’s time to focus on the Premier League. With only three matches remaining, United have a five-point lead over José Mourinho’s Chelsea, who have just been knocked out of the other Champions League semi-final at the hands of Rafa Benítez’s Liverpool. On Saturday 5 May, Ferguson’s men face the first hurdle in their race for the title: the Man City derby. The Blues do not have any great objectives as far as the league is concerned. But nothing would give the fans more pleasure than upsetting their eternal rivals after their European setback.

  But that wouldn’t happen – Ronaldo and Van der Sar wouldn’t allow it. And while it’s a relatively quiet match for Rooney and Giggs, Cristiano lights up the Etihad Stadium. Michael Ball makes life difficult for him, but Ronaldo’s efforts pay off in the 33rd minute when the left-back fouls him in the box. CR7 steps up to convert the penalty, making it 0-1 to United. Thanks to Van der Saar, the scoreline remains unchanged at the final whistle. In the last moments of the match, the Dutch goalie blocks a penalty from Man City striker Darius Vassell, sealing the win for United. Ronaldo’s penalty takes his tally to seventeen Premier League goals, third top scorer in the league after Chelsea’s Drogba (twenty) and Benni McCarthy of Blackburn Rovers (eighteen). Above all, his goal has kept United in the running for their sixteenth league title – his first big trophy.

  He wins it on a Sunday afternoon from an armchair in front of the TV. Second-in-the-league Chelsea are playing Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. If they lose or draw, United will be champions. Things are off to a good start. The Gunners have scored a penalty and Chelsea’s Dutch defender Khalid Boulahrouz has been sent off. Cristiano, Zé and his cousin Nuno are ecstatic. But the match is not over yet and Michael Essien equalises for the Blues.

  The final twenty minutes are heart-stopping. Ronaldo has all his fingers crossed and has bitten down all his nails. He doesn’t want to wait
another week to be crowned champion. And he doesn’t have to, as Chelsea draw 1-1. Man United are the champions and Ronaldo pops the champagne. He calls his mother and his friends, he receives dozens of congratulatory messages, and he races into town to celebrate with his team-mates. The party goes on into the early hours of the morning and continues the next day in the dressing room. But the most emotional celebrations are yet to come.

  On Wednesday 9 May at Stamford Bridge, the Chelsea players form a walkway of honour for their opponents. United have regained the English crown after four years of drought, ending the reign of the Blues, who won in 2005 and 2006. Above all, they have won it with some impressive figures: best attack in the league (83 goals), second best defence after Chelsea (only 26 goals conceded), only four defeats – and they have held the top spot since day one.

  Ferguson’s gamble on an attacking game has paid off, even against Chelsea, who have asserted their dominance with a faultless formation and a cast-iron defence. Winning his ninth league title, Sir Alex has managed to teach even Mourinho a lesson. The Special One will not hesitate to exact his revenge: on 19 May Chelsea will beat United in the FA Cup final, 1-0 thanks to a Drogba goal. But on that Sunday, 13 May, the final day of the Premier League, United have the chance to celebrate in front of the fans at Old Trafford.

  Enveloped in a Portuguese flag, Ronaldo gets to lift the trophy and take it round the pitch with his mother, his brother Hugo, Zé, Nuno and Rogelio. They end up soaked to the skin by rain and champagne, before gathering for a family photo in the centre of the pitch. A smiling Ronaldo is pictured, thumbs up, surrounded by his loved ones.