Cristiano Ronaldo can finally take a deep breath and smile! The 23-year-old superstar – now Portugal’s symbol – had been complaining about his role in the squad, saying that captaining the Portuguese team in the dressing room is not what he loves best.
Portugal’s failure to achieve glory has often been explained by the fact that the squad lacks unity off-the pitch. Ronaldo already plays a big role in his family concerning private life issues, which to adds to his duties as the captain of his country.
Portuguese fans mourned Figo’s departure but with the appointment of Carlos Queiros as head coach of the Euro 2004 runners up, everyone’s hopes have raised again.
In Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal possesses a creative and influential winger, arguably the best player in the world. Matters off the pitch – which Ronaldo dislikes dealing with – are certainly the real cause why Portugal has failed to shine since the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Now that Ronaldo’s ‘father’, Carlos Queiros, is the man in charge of the squad, there is a feeling that he can put all the pieces back together and form a strong and united team. Ronaldo will now have the possibility to focus more on captaining his side on the pitch only, and enjoy possible success like in Manchester United.
The talismanic number 7 was not in the Portugal squad that beat the Faeroe Islands 5 – 0 earlier in the week, but all the same, the team displayed a good performance and showed its strength particularly in the last ten minutes of the game.
Carlos Queiros is believed to be someone who knows how to handle private matters between his players. It seems that Portugal’s new coach has freed young man Ronaldo from his dressing room duties. There is a sensation that Queiros’ pairing with Ronaldo – now free from pressure – will bear fruits for Portugal who has never achieved national team glory.
Written by: Angela Asante
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