C.Ronaldo at age 17 and the story of talent beyond the times
The coach, Laszlo Boloni, believes that Ronaldo, who is only 17 years old, is far more talented than his teammates who are the same age.
One of the most accomplished players in the history of football around the world is Cristiano Ronaldo. Over the course of his career, the superstar, who is now 38 years old, has amassed a total of 35 titles, which includes five C1 Cups and one Euro crown while playing for the national team.
Laszlo Boloni, the coach who was responsible for recognizing the talent of the Portuguese superstar’s potential. When CR7 was just 17 years old, he was already a member of the first team, and he was given the opportunity to play for Sporting Lisbon in the preliminary round of the C1 Cup in the year 2002.
The total amount of time that Ronaldo spent playing during that match was 58 minutes. Because of this performance, Boloni was left with a profound impact. However, he did concede that Ronaldo is significantly more talented than his teammates who are the same age. The Romanian strategist said that he was of the opinion that CR7 had the potential to beat Luis Figo and Eusebio, two legendary players originally from Portugal, in the future.
“I went to the youth team and asked Ronaldo to play in the first team because he was in good shape, very fast, and had great technique,” Mr. Boloni said with Spanish media. “It was because Ronaldo had great technique besides being very fast.”
Regarding this choice, I didn’t have to give it much thought at all. After watching Ronaldo play, I came to the conclusion that I could no longer allow him to remain on the youth squad. He plays football and controls the ball with a level of maturity that belies his actual age.
When Ronaldo is in the locker room, he is a joyful individual; yet, once he is out on the field, it is impossible to interact with him in a humorous manner. Ronaldo’s playing style is very different from that of a boy who is only 16 or 17 years old. Ronaldo’s playing style is considerably more mature.
At that time, I was uncertain as to whether or not he had the potential to become one of the best players. On the other hand, I am aware that Ronaldo will be extremely good if he is able to avoid getting injured. In a conversation that took place twenty years ago, I predicted that he would be more successful than Figo and even the renowned Eusebio.
The year that Mr. Boloni will turn 71 years old is the year that he will continue to train. When it comes to Metz, a squad that competes in Ligue 1, he is currently in the driver’s seat. As a coach, this strategist is recognized for his backing of CR7, despite the fact that he does not have a particularly impressive list of accomplishments. At first, he classified Ronaldo as a striker, but later on, he switched his position to that of a winger. He was able to realize his full potential as a result of this, and Manchester United took notice of him in the year 2003.
Even though he is still young, he weighs only approximately 60 kilograms. As a result, Ronaldo has a hard time maintaining possession of the ball while facing backs who weigh approximately 100 kilograms. This is because of his quickness and his ability to dribble, which will allow him to be more effective if he plays on the wing. In spite of the fact that Ronaldo first had some challenges, I am pleased that I made the decision to allow him to go to the wing position,” Mr. Boloni continued.
In addition, this instructor believes that Ronaldo needs to make some little adjustments to his playing style in order to achieve more success. “I attempted to convey to him that dribbling past two people is sufficient, but moving past five people is excessive. It was my intention to explain to him the amount to which dribbling is effective. In light of his intelligence, Ronaldo is heading in the correct direction,” he went on to say.
Mr. Boloni was asked about who is superior to Ronaldo or Messi, and he immediately picked CR7 as the answer. The fact that Ronaldo has always been my favorite pupil makes it impossible for me to avoid being prejudiced. When we were both employed at Sporting, he was there to accompany me.
After more than twenty years of playing football at the professional level, Ronaldo has reached a level of mastery in both his physical and technical abilities. It is possible for the Portuguese superstar to continue playing football at the highest level even at the age of 38.
In all competitions during the previous year, CR7 scored 54 goals, making him the leading scorer. The European Championship in 2024, which may be Ronaldo’s final Euro of his career, is anticipated to be a victory for him.
