Memories of Ronaldo’s debut: on this day in 2002
Though Cristiano Ronaldo’s impact off a dais was immaterial on a arise of his Sporting CP entrance – the UEFA Champions League third subordinate turn initial leg opposite Inter finished goalless – the night of 14 Aug 2002 stays a defining impulse in a new story of European football. It was a night when one of a biggest players of a era initial seemed in a veteran game.
UEFA.com’s Portuguese contributor and editor Pedro Marques, who was in a track in Lisbon that dusk 15 years ago, takes a travel down memory line …
Pedro, what are your memories of Ronaldo’s debut?
Sporting had usually distinguished winning a Liga pretension – still their many recent, in fact – but that deteriorate a Portuguese champions did not enter a UEFA Champions League in a organisation stage, so Sporting had to face Inter in a qualifiers. It had been a tough summer for Sporting, with several critical players absent by injury, and that authorised Ronaldo to get a few pre-season opportunities.
He done a many of them, with sports journal Record stating after a accessible opposite Lyon: “Take note of this immature boy. He’s discerning on a ball, has extraordinary dribbling skills and always has an eye for goal.” Ronaldo was on a dais for a initial rival compare of a debate – a opening leg of a qualifier with Inter – and he came on for Spanish midfielder Toñito with scarcely an hour gone.
I remember him doing a integrate of dribbles down a right, to a pleasure of a crowd, though zero wilful adequate to assistance Sporting mangle a deadlock. The diversion finished 0-0, with a Lions thereafter losing a second leg 2-0 in Italy and unwell to strech a organisation stage.
Was there good expectation surrounding a player? Do we remember a impulse he came off a bench?
Much of a speak before a diversion centred on another Ronaldo, a Brazilian, and his deficiency from a Inter patrol that night. As for Cristiano Ronaldo, usually 17 during a time, he’d had a good pre-season for Sporting, scoring his initial idea for a bar a integrate of weeks before in a 3-2 accessible win opposite Betis.
The media and a fans were starting to speak about him as a subsequent large star out of a club’s academy, though no one approaching him to turn so critical so quickly. we remember when he entered a field, mid by a second half, we listened a believer nearby me saying: “This is a child we was articulate to we about. Just wait and see.” So there were already people fervent to see him play.
When had we initial listened that Ronaldo competence be an sparkling prospect?
Sporting have a prolonged tradition of nurturing highly-rated players – especially wingers, like Paulo Futre, LuÃs Figo and Simão Sabrosa. The prior year, another one of those enchanting wingers, Ricardo Quaresma, had his breakthrough season, marvelling a throng with his skills. But we remember people saying: “Sure, Quaresma is great, though there’s another child who will shortly make it into a initial group who is violation annals during girl level.”
They were articulate about Cristiano, and when he did get into a initial group in 2002, we accepted what they meant. His extraordinary pre-season idea opposite Betis was all a explanation we needed: arrangement illusory gait and composure, Ronaldo kick a screw to a round and, from a formidable angle outward a area, twisted a pleasing shot into a tip dilemma with his right foot. Sporting had a star in a making.
“The well-developed idea that Cristiano Ronaldo scored opposite Betis put this 17-year-old from Madeira on his approach to stardom,” wrote A Bola shortly afterwards, when assessing Sporting’s prospects for a entrance season. “Over a final month he has valid he can be a subsequent large thing during a club.” His entrance opposite Inter came a few days later.
RONALDO’S OTHER DEBUTS
Manchester United
Date: 16 Aug 2003
Game: Manchester United 4-0 Bolton Wanderers (Premier League)
How did it go? Ronaldo came off a dais with 30 mins left and was simply noble on a left flank, personification an instrumental purpose in a further of 3 goals to a scoreline. “It was a noble debut,” pronounced Sir Alex Ferguson. “I suspicion a gait was too delayed in a initial half and we knew Cristiano would supplement penetration.” Bolton manager Sam Allardyce added: “He was opposite class; he looks a really sparkling actor and his introduction was crucial.”
Portugal
Date: 20 Aug 2003
Game: Portugal 1-0 Kazakhstan (friendly)
How did it go? Ronaldo transposed Rui Costa during half-time and, within a minute, got a throng off their feet with a typically mazy run that finished in a clever cross-shot opposite a keeper. From that impulse on, a Portugal fans had eyes usually for his gorgeous transformation and smashing skill. So considerable was his display, aged 18, manager Luiz Felipe Scolari pronounced after a match: “Cristiano is a clever claimant to be called adult for EURO [2004].” And so he was, really scarcely moving a hosts to glory.
A Bola pronounced of his general debut: “He showed no fear of carrying a round during his feet, holding on opponents and formulating space with his startling dribbling ability.”
Real Madrid
Date: 29 Aug 2009
Game: Real Madrid 3-2 Deportivo (Spanish Liga)
How did it go? Then donning a No9 jersey, Ronaldo done his entrance alongside Raúl González and associate visitor Karim Benzema. It was a mystic compare in many ways, not slightest given Ronaldo scored a initial of his 285 Liga goals though also as it came from a chastisement spot, with Raúl carrying ceded duties to him. “I felt good; it’s always critical to get off to a winning start,” pronounced Ronaldo. “I’m gay that a team’s in good shape, now we have to continue improving.” He has led by instance ever since.