Ronaldo Page 4
Chapter 6
Festival
‘It wasn’t about being the best player in the tournament.’
1985: Jean-Pierre Papin from Valenciennes is the top goal-scorer and wins the trophy for France.
1991: During his time with AS Cannes, Zinedine Zidane’s brilliance gets him as far as the final, where the Frenchmen then lose to England. Southampton’s Alan Shearer is the star player with seven goals in four games.
1992: Benfica’s Rui Costa gives an exceptional performance – player of the tournament and top scorer.
1997: AS Monaco’s Thierry Henry is the top scorer and best player, and he wins the title with France.
1998: Juan Román Riquelme from Argentina’s Boca Juniors is crowned player of the tournament and the European clubs are outraged.
The Festival International Espoirs de Toulon et du Var, or the ‘Toulon Hopefuls Tournament’ as it is known in English, began in 1967 as an Under 21 club tournament. In 1974 it switched to national teams only. It is not recognised by FIFA, but it has long been considered a place for talent-spotting the youngsters who years later are confirmed as global superstars.
The 31st tournament, between 10 and 21 June 2003 is no exception. Against all predictions, the player of the tournament is named as Javier Mascherano. The boy who will one day become the star of Barcelona and the Argentine national team is currently at River Plate, and he helps Argentina to third place in the tournament. Two years later he will transfer to SC Corinthians in Brazil, then move on to the Premier League where he will join West Ham and later Liverpool.
Ronaldo, who was tipped for the top prize along with Italy’s Pagano and Argentina’s Rivas, will have to console himself with the accolade of youngest finalist.
‘Winning the player of the tournament prize wasn’t what was most important,’ declares a modest Cristiano. ‘It was more important for the team to come out on top – and we have. We’ve won the trophy.’
After winning in 1992 and 2001, Portugal lifts the Toulon trophy for the third time, beating Italy 3-1 in the final, and putting on a fantastic all-round performance. Sporting’s number 28 is also learning about introspection.
‘I have done what I came here to do. In three of the fixtures I think I played well but in the other two I was a bit tired,’ he confesses. ‘It’s not surprising when you consider how many games are squeezed into such a short space of time.’
In each of the national teams, CR7 has always played alongside slightly older team-mates. He was fourteen when he joined the Under 15s and sixteen when he went to the Under 17s. He is eighteen in the Under 20s team in Toulon, where he makes an impression right from the start during the first match against England in Nîmes on 11 June.
Portuguese coach Rui Caçador had promised an attacking formation and he is true to his word. He puts Danny in the hole, Ronaldo and Lourenço on the wings, leaving the giant Hugo Almeida to find gaps in the opponents’ defence. After ten minutes of careful observation, Portugal take the reins, and despite the fact that the three goals don’t come until the second half, their superior performance throughout crushes their opponents. Cristiano scores the decisive third goal and makes an impression not only on the national team staff, but on the numerous coaches from the top teams who are always out in force at Toulon looking for potential signings.
Barcelona scout Juan Martínez Vilaseca is one of them. After seeing Ronaldo in action he declares that ‘He is an extremely interesting player. He has unique characteristics that make him a promising young man. If he stays focused on his career, one day he will be able to play for one of the big European clubs if he puts his mind to it. It won’t be long before he’s one of the best players in Portugal, no doubt about it.’
This young footballer is no longer an unknown among the footballing powers that be – Vilaseca is not the only one who thinks highly of him. For a while now he has been courted by some of Europe’s biggest clubs. Arsenal, Man United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Juventus, Parma, Atlético Madrid, Barça and Valencia have all shown an interest in the boy from Madeira.
Gunners manager Arsène Wenger has extended a personal invitation to Cristiano and his mother to come to London in January 2003 to talk about the future, visit the club and get to know striker Thierry Henry, whom Ronaldo greatly admires. The conversation continues on his return to Lisbon, but Wenger is keen for him to stay there for another year before making the leap into the Premiership.
Inter have the same idea: they’re willing to pay the transfer fees but they think the kid should stay and train in Lisbon a bit longer. Inter scout Luis Suárez, winner of the 1960 Ballon d’Or and ex-Inter and Barça midfielder, had received a call from a friend tipping him off about a really good player who was excelling in the Sporting youth academy. He had seen him once or twice before he debuted with the first team and he was convinced they should speak to his family and sign him as soon as possible.
According to inside sources, Valencia have already put 500 million pesetas on the table. And Ronaldo is apparently also in talks with Atlético Madrid who, according to the Spanish press, have joined the Iberian teams in the race to sign the young sportsman.
Even Liverpool manager Gérard Houllier has taken his scouts’ words about the Madeiran marvel to heart and has flown over to France to see the new Portuguese phenomenon in person. When he sees him play there is no doubt in his mind: he believes he is one of the most promising youngsters in Europe and he wants to bring him to Anfield. There are murmurings in the press about an offer of a Liverpool player and 7.5 million Euros in exchange for Ronaldo, and there’s talk of it being finalised within a few days. Cristiano’s agent Jorge Mendes has met with the Liverpool representatives and the Lisbon club is ready to give the go-ahead for the number 28’s departure to the birthplace of the Beatles.
Cristiano says that he greatly admires English football (although it’s not his favourite style – he prefers the Spanish game). ‘Liverpool is one of the top English clubs. It would be a dream for any player,’ he concedes. On the other hand, he has no reason to leave Sporting in such a hurry.
But the press want to know how the eighteen-year-old feels about having caught the eye of all the scouts in Toulon and having a whole slew of clubs clamouring for his attention. ‘I don’t feel pressured by it all,’ he replies. ‘I am just excited and happy to know that the big clubs and the top names have noticed me. It gives me strength and encouragement to try to improve every day. But I haven’t spoken to anyone yet, and no one has made a concrete offer to Sporting. I know there’s a lot of talk in the press, but right now my main objective is to get the team to the final and help them win. That’s what I have to focus on.’
And he does. Another fantastic performance on the wing against Argentina, whom many consider to be the favourites to go all the way. But Portugal beat Mascherano’s men 3-0. Next they face Japan in Fréjus, but they are in for a nasty surprise. Having thought that the most difficult match was behind them, Rui Caçador’s men relax and suffer an unexpected defeat, 1-0 thanks to a goal from Mogi. ‘We didn’t play the way we did in the other two matches,’ comments Ronaldo, convinced that the team depends on him. ‘We weren’t up to scratch, we didn’t assert ourselves and we missed a lot of chances. Now we have to beat Turkey if we want to make it to the final.’ Goals from Nuno Viveiros and Danny make mincemeat of Raşit Çetiner’s Turkish team and earn them their place in the Tournament final.
‘A McVictory over spaghetti,’ reads the headline in the Portuguese newspaper Record on Saturday 21 June, the day of the final. The coach had decided that the way to relieve the tension the night before was to take his twenty players out for a Big Mac. They had been begging to go and it’s as good a way as any to relax – and escape the boring hotel food on offer. And so, the night before facing the Italians, they head down to McDonald’s and queue patiently for their burgers.
It is not a match for the faint-hearted, a full 90 minutes of jam-packed action. And it’s a painful 90 minutes for the Portuguese.
In the 25th minute they are already down to ten men after a straight red card for Hugo Almeida and the Blues take control of possession. Just before the break, the scoreboard is level at 0-0, and the teams are level again after Bovo is sent off for a foul on Pedro Ribeiro. By the second half it is clear that the Italians are more rested – they have had an extra 24 hours’ break since their last match against Poland.
The Blues are in control, and in the 67th minute Francesco Ruopolo goes on the counterattack and puts Italy in front. It’s going to be hard for Portugal to come back from that against such a strong defence, and it looks like the game is all but over.
But they’re wrong. Just over ten minutes before the final whistle: enter two substitutes who will turn the game around. João Paiva comes onto the pitch and scores with his first touch. Five minutes later Danny steals the ball from his opponent and puts them in the lead. Paiva makes it 3-1 in injury time and the celebrations begin. The winners’ photo shows a Ronaldo with a curly blonde fringe, skinny and shirtless – yet to develop the muscles that he has today. He is beaming joyfully, arms raised. In his left hand he is holding a blue shirt – his victory bounty.
‘It was a difficult game against an extremely good team who created a lot of problems for us,’ says Cristiano. ‘We knew beforehand that the Italians were a very strong team. We played well and we’ve put on some great performances throughout the whole tournament.’ The Portuguese press praises the Under 20 squad and hails this generation as being up there with that of Figo and Rui Costa.
The team receives a hero’s welcome on their return to Lisbon, with fans turning out in force to clap and cheer them at the Portela airport. Cristiano Ronaldo is not there as he hasn’t travelled back with the team. He has stayed in France with his mother and one of his sisters for a holiday – a few days in the south followed by a trip to Paris. It’s a well-deserved break before the Sporting preseason begins. On 6 August, after a friendly against Manchester United, his life will take an unexpected turn.
Chapter 7
Number 7
‘I wanted number 28 but I couldn’t go against the boss.’
The night before the match the deal is already done. At a meeting at the Quinta da Marinha Hotel, Sporting have reached an agreement with Manchester United which will see Cristiano become a Red Devil for 15 million Euros – just over £12 million. United coach Alex Ferguson, Sporting financial director Simões Almeida and Cristiano’s agent Jorge Mendes have tied up all the loose ends; all that remains is for the player himself to sign the contract.
Cristiano already knows that his future is tied up with United, but the news is not made public until 12 August – and not before an entire week of denials from one party or another. No one wants to ruin Sporting’s party. On 6 August 2003 the Alvalade XXI, the Lions’ new stadium, is being inaugurated. It has been designed by architect Tomás Taveira with a view to being used during UEFA Euro 2004, which Portugal is hosting.
The inaugural match is played against Man United, who already have an agreement with the Lisbon club. The youth academy at Alcochete has become like a surrogate academy for United – they have first option on any promising Green and White youngsters and Sporting must inform them of any outside interest.
It’s a stunning spectacle, opening with the inauguration of the new venue and topped off by the match and Cristiano’s performance. The ceremony begins at 8.45pm with curtains rising to reveal a stage where national singer-songwriter Dulce Pontes sings her famous ‘Amor a Portugal’ (‘Love of Portugal’); hundreds of people form the shape of the club’s shield on the pitch; and finally the players make their way onto the field. The atmosphere is electric and there is not an empty seat in the house.
Dressed in his green and white striped number 28 shirt, white shorts and green and white striped socks, Cristiano Ronaldo is keen to show Manchester United what he is capable of. In fact, he is so focused that this will be the best match he has ever played with the Lions. He is off to a flying start and makes the United defenders suffer on the wing. He tests United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez’s limits, with shots from afar and a one-on-one which the French goalie wins. In the 25th minute he serves up the ball for Luís Filipe to score the first goal. But above all, he amazes everyone with his dribbling, speed, bicycle kicks, change of pace and ability to evade his opponents.
During halftime Sir Alex is already thinking he needs to sign him, telling the club’s former chief executive Peter Kenyon: ‘We can’t leave here without that kid.’ Defender Phil Neville recalls the same discussion in the dressing room: ‘We were all saying to the boss: “We’ve got to sign him.”’
Ferguson says nothing. He has no intention of announcing to his players that the deal is all but done. He’s a sly fox. He wants the kid to be accepted in the dressing room from day one, and what better way to do that than to allow them to think that they had something to do with bringing him over from Sporting. On the plane back to London, veteran United players Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes and Roy Keane point out the young Portuguese player’s attributes and ask if United can sign him. Sir Alex can only feel silently smug. At the end of the match (won by Sporting 3-1), and after having consulted Jorge Mendes, he has spoken directly to Cristiano, showered him with praise and invited him to Manchester.
Ronaldo is convinced that he will go there to sign the contract, have a medical, visit Old Trafford and take a look around the facilities and then return to Lisbon for a year on loan to Sporting. But Ferguson has other plans. Once he has arrived and has signed the contract (two million Euros a year – more than 150,000 Euros a month compared to the 2,000 he was making at Sporting), Ferguson sits down with Jorge Mendes.
‘I didn’t understand any of the English,’ Cristiano tells Portuguese newspaper Público years later. ‘Mendes explained to me that Ferguson wanted me to stay in Manchester. I was shocked and nervous.’ He doesn’t know what to do – he hasn’t even brought his belongings. He’ll start his training out in Carrington and he can go back later and get his things.
He is formally presented at Old Trafford on 13 August, alongside 24-year-old Brazilian José Kléberson, who has come from Atlético Paranaense. Ronaldo arrives in a virtually see-through white shirt and faded jeans, with highlights in his hair. The commentators do not exactly warm to him. They are unimpressed by his look, his age, and above all the price that United have shelled out for him. Ronaldo is the most expensive teenager in the history of the British game, and £12 million seems like far too high a price for an eighteen-year-old kid who only has one season, 25 matches and three goals with the first team on his CV.
But Ferguson has just sold Beckham to Real Madrid for £25 million and Juan Sebastián Verón to Chelsea for £15 million. He has also just lost out on signing Ronaldinho (the Brazilian has gone to Barcelona). He is convinced that he has made an excellent signing. He believes Cristiano will bring more to the table than Beckham and will be the piece of the puzzle that United has been missing for years. Portuguese footballing legend and 1965 Ballon d’Or winner Eusébio agrees: ‘Ronaldo is not just a footballer, he is waiting to be an icon. He would enhance any team, any league, anywhere. I really believe he is that good.’
Ferguson and his band of scouts didn’t just discover Ronaldo at the match at the Alvalade, they have been following him since he was fifteen years old. ‘It was Carlos Queiroz who brought Cristiano Ronaldo’s potential to our attention,’ explains Ferguson, acknowledging his former assistant manager’s role in the story. ‘He was following the Portuguese youth teams and he realised immediately that he was a valuable player. He told us we had to sign him.’
And although the agreement has only just been signed, United have been courting the Lisbon club for quite a while. Israeli businessman and football agent Pini Zahavi, who has been responsible for brokering a number of United’s major deals, is present at Cristiano’s performance against Moreirense at the Alvalade in October 2002. After the match, he meets with the club’s directors to see if an agreement can be rea
ched about the future of the young number 28. And he’s not the only one. The deal has been accelerated in recent weeks because that match at the Alvalade has been a game-changer: the competition are closing in on the youngster.
According to the Portuguese press, the Sporting directors have received offers of more than ten million Euros from Parma and Juve. Italian newspaper Tuttosport even runs with the headline: ‘Juve: Ronaldo is yours.’ Dozens of clubs have started to take an interest, from Barça to Milan, from Real Madrid to Chelsea. Liverpool, initially one of the most active clubs in terms of expressing interest, eventually withdraws from the race. As Gérard Houllier will explain years later to The Daily Mail: ‘We had a wage scale and we weren’t paying the sort of salary he wanted. I thought it would cause problems in our dressing room.’
Manchester United beats off the competition to walk away with the prize. Given Sporting’s weak economic position, the Portuguese team are more than happy to make an immediate profit from their newest youth academy star, just as they did six months earlier when they sold Ricardo Quaresma to Barcelona for six million Euros. The club directors know that Ronaldo could walk free at the end of the 2003-04 season, and they don’t want to lose their investment in his development.
At the presentation of the new signing, Sir Alex Ferguson announces: ‘Ronaldo is an extremely talented footballer, a two-footed attacker who can play anywhere up front: on the right, the left or through the middle. He is one of the most exciting young players I’ve ever seen.’ Not bad for a ‘Portuguese teenager’, as the British press persist in describing him. The teenager himself sticks to the niceties: ‘I am very happy to be signing for the best team in the world, and especially proud to be the first Portuguese player to join Manchester United. I look forward to helping the team achieve even more success in the years to come.’