Cristiano Ronaldo has also been determined to become the best player in the World. When he arrived in England, dubbed a ‘one-trick pony’ by many, he never let the criticism stand between him and his goal.
So he’s made it, although is still waiting on being awarded the official honour in December, and there’s no denying that you have to contain bags full of self-belief to get to where he has.
It appears as this self-belief, or arrogance, rubbed the current Chelsea boss, Phil Scolari, up the wrong way.
“He’s a good kid but someone must have told him he’s the best in the world and if he actually thinks that it will be very hard to work with him,” Scolari said, after Portugal’s match against Sweden in 2004. Ronaldo had replaced Luis Figo with half an hour left to play, with the Portuguese earning a draw with an injury time equaliser.
The ex-Portugal press officer and Scolari biographer Jose Carlos Freitas has spoke about Ronaldo’s beginnings playing with his country.
“The position of right wing belonged to Figo as did the number seven shirt,” Freitas said. “Cristiano was given the number 17, the second number seven, the second Figo. Figo’s attitude towards Cristiano was more like that of captain and team mate than as a veteran leader preparing his replacement. Ronaldo looked up to Figo but he also had the attitude of someone who was ready to take on the mantle and be even better than him…and Figo knew it.”
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