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"Waka Waka" singer Shakira was a star at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but she could not outshine Cristiano Ronaldo, or Paul the Octopus in terms of Twitter trends.
A Bit on Shakira
Shakira is normally known for her dancing, original music, and for what many describe as her “outstanding beauty." She was selected to join the group of singers praising the spirit of Africa prior to the World Cup, and after winning against K’naan’s Waving Flag, her song "Waka Waka" became the official song of the tournament.
This sparked controversy as many listeners on the African continent rejected the music, due to the fact that Shakira was not African. Regardless of this matter, Shakira was chosen to perform at the 2010 World Cup kickoff ceremony on June 10 along with other singers like Alicia Keys, Black Eyed Peas and many more.
As the star of the tournament, many expected her to take away the spotlight in terms of individual popularity; yet, that was not the case, as her name was missing from Twitter’s Top Recent Trends.
Statistics from Twitter Trends revealed that unlike Paul the Octopus and Cristiano Ronaldo, Shakira was not even at the top for 19 hours over the last month.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Portugal and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo is now among football’s greatest players of all time, having joined David Beckham on the list of players with the most fans on social networks. Indeed, although Ronaldo is hated by many for his body language, he is also loved by millions. At least, those millions of followers are interested in him.
Naturally, Ronaldo began his 2010 FIFA World Cup campaign as a superstar in the tournament. According to Mashable’s chart for Twitter Trends, Ronaldo came in first position after the first week as the most tweeted player of the competition with 1,140 tweets (372 tweets in front of Argentina’s Lionel Messi).
Ronaldo fell to second place after the second week with 1,740 tweets; 135 tweets behind first place Guillermo Franco from Mexico. But after the third week, Ronaldo regained his top position with 5,070 tweets due to Portugal’s elimination at the World Cup in South Africa.
Presumably, Ronaldo is not too close to being the king of Twitter, but at least 113 hours and 20 minutes of trending were enough for him to make a great impact on the social network over the last month, and turn Portugal into one of the most tweeted teams of the 2010 World Cup.
Paul the Octopus
Yes, a lot of people might be jealous here.
Although Paul the Octopus or Pulpo Paul is a sea creature, he (not “it”, as the octopus is called) took the center of the stage during the entire tournament. With a 100 percent record in his predictions regarding Germany’s games and the final, Paul the Octopus is now said to be headed for retirement.
Whatever he may do next, he surely revealed the hidden character of many people during his moments of hard work (World Cup), as many respectful figures surprisingly lost their “decent images” and were reported to publish highly insulting messages on their Facebook and Twitter pages.
Paul became one of the internet’s most discussed subjects, and although the news might sound ridiculous, he became the third most popular Twitter trend with 141 hours of trending. That is far above superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Shakira.
Cristiano Ronaldo's notoriety... was it a curse?
An observation many viewers shared in the 2010 World Cup is that the match officials were much less than favorable towards Cristiano Ronaldo.
Whether it is Ronaldo's notoriety in the art of diving, his arrogance or simply because he is arguably the best footballer on the planet, the Portuguese superstar is often placed in a negative light. The most frequent criticism, especially here in the United States, is that he is a "baby" who constantly embellishes seemingly harmless challenges.
The 2010 World Cup has been deemed an unsuccessful tournament for the Portuguese captain, but officiating from FIFA referees, along with the tactics of Carlos Queiroz, did nothing to support Ronaldo's game.
In several instances, Ronaldo was cheated during challenges that were certainly worthy of a foul and maybe more.
In the opening group match against the Ivory Coast, Ronaldo dove and the official called a foul. The Ivorians were quite angry after the referee's decision, and the official proceeded to make yet another questionable decision.
Ronaldo sprinted down the heart of the Ivorian defense with the ball, and one defender seemed to make what is frequently called a "professional foul" and worthy of a booking. The official, Jorge Larrionda, decided to accuse Ronaldo of diving and punished him with a yellow card.
As the group stage matches continued, fouls on the Portuguese captain were not being called, as the referees must have assumed that he was diving.
In Portugal's Round of 16 match against Spain, it once again seemed like Ronaldo would not be able to buy a call.
One of the most malicious challenges was committed by Spanish defender Carles Puyol. Ronaldo clearly nutmegged Puyol, but then Puyol's wandering leg came into play and tripped him. The official, Hector Baldassi, refused to make the call and proceeded to gift the Spanish one call after another, rarely calling the several fouls committed against Ronaldo.
This may be speculation, but it seems to me that FIFA is prepping the match officials so that they can become aware of a certain player's tendencies. And the perception of Ronaldo is of an arrogant player who continues to put himself in the spotlight with tendencies similar to a whining child's.
In my opinion, FIFA is not treating Ronaldo like any other player. If they did, Ronaldo would have at least received some calls in the four matches that he played. Something FIFA needs to understand is that it is not right to have any form of bias against a player, especially in the World Cup, which is such a monumental event.
As for the captain's post-game actions being deemed "uncaptain-like," if Ronaldo wants to change the perception that others have of him, he needs to have a form of restraint and avoid suspect actions such as spitting in front of a cameraman.
If Ronaldo is able to alter this negative perception, the bias held by match officials may change.
The 2010 edition of the FIFA World Cup is just around the corner and Brazil have been placed in group G along with North Korea, Ivory Coast and Portugal.
To many observers group G certainly seems to be the group of death as apart from the Samba Boys, we have Ivory Coast led by the prolific goalscorer Didier Drogba, a relatively unknown adversary in the shape of North Korea and Portugal with their media sensation Cristiano Ronaldo.
A lot of fire power packed into one group but put under the microscope we see that things are actually rosy for the Seleção, who are in South Africa to win the cup and not just get past the group stage.
The location is ideal. Brazil will play two matches in Johannesburg, then travel for just one match, only to return to Johannesburg for the next stage.
Topping the group guarantees this return to "home turf" so Dunga has already made it clear that this is an obvious objective.
Even before the draw it was widely publicized that Brazil was very interested in group G because of the reduced travelling between matches throughout the tournament, and as luck would have it, so it turned out.
Coach Dunga has had very little to say about the Ivory Coast and perhaps with good reason. They are a powerful African nation playing on African soil and without a doubt Brazil's biggest adversary in this group.
Led by one of the finest strikers in the world, Didier Drogba, Ivory Coast should send this message home early after their initial clash with Portugal, confirming that which Dunga is already very aware of.
Respect is called for but not fear, as one or two top players and a virtual home advantage, still should not be enough to beat a motivated, well structured Brazil which has flattened all comers in the last couple of years under Dunga, in every corner of the globe.
Strangely enough, North Korea was the first country's name to be uttered by Dunga immediately after the draw. The lack of information on this team worries the Seleção top dog.
This might have something to do with a strange track record in which teams like Venezuela and Bolivia have secured victories against the same Dunga machine which has twice flattened Italy, Argentina and beat Portugal to a pulp in recent times.
Which indeed brings us to the other member of the group, Portugal.
Dunga simply dismissed Portugal as a Brazil B side. This gesture may have angered some, the likes of Figo who condemned the comment.
However with Pepe, Deco and their World Cup life saver Liedson, it's hard to argue that this isn't indeed a very Brazilianized team.
Portugal do posses some class in the form of their poster boy Cristiano Ronaldo. However the major drawback to his presence is that the World Cup will be played in real time.
You see slow motion effects are usually needed to make this lad look dangerous.
Seriously speaking, Portugal, who struggled to qualify for the World Cup, should pose no more of a threat for the Seleção as they did in the last meeting of these two teams which ended in a convincing 6-2 spanking for the Lusitano.
Kaka completely outshone his Real Madrid counterpart on that occasion and I see no reason to believe that a South Africa 2010 clash will produce a different result.
Apart from the favourable venue, reduced travel and beatable but worthy adversaries, there is another wonderful subtlety to the Brazil draw which analyst/commentator ex-Seleção, Walter Casagrande, was quick to point out.
Portugal and Ivory Coast are beatable but yet very worthy opponents. A broader look at the tournament would suggest that it is better to meet either one in the group stages where a surprise of any kind can still be overturned with other results.
Also attitude and approach of these teams in the group stage may be totally different to that in the knockout stages.
The second placed team in group G will play Spain, the probable winners of the easy group H.
So while Spain may have it easy in the first group stages, they could find themselves playing against a super motivated Portugal fresh off a Brazil defeat or a fired up Ivory Coast, in their first knockout match.
In the meantime Brazil will be locking horns with the second place in Spain's weak group H and theoretically cruising on to greener pastures.
Casagrande's logic is based on the question: Would you rather meet Ivory Coast in the opening stages where a draw would suffice or in the next round where someone must die? The same goes for Portugal.
It's going to be a whole other Ivory Coast versus Spain compared to the tame defensive version which met Brazil. This is a subtlety of the draw which must be considered when the big picture is taken into account.
A closer look at how the Confederations Cup draws and results went for both Spain and Brazil may give weight to this line of thinking. Special attention must also be paid to the USA and how they played differently in stages of the competition.
Mysteriously, Spain also got an easy group stage draw in that tournament.
However, the thing that makes football the greatest sport on earth is its unpredictability.
North Korea may end up coming in second to Ivory Coast in group G sending all the pundits back to their drawing boards. That's the beauty of it.
FIAT-Abarth team driver Giandomenico Basso has won his third Rali Vinho Madeira after a gripping battle with local hero Bruno Magalhaes. Basso took the victory with just 3.5s between them after 21 stages.
Basso joins two other men, Americo da Silva Nunes and Pierro Liatti in the record books of three-time winners, and puts himself into contention for the Intercontinental Rally Challenge title and into the lead of the FIA European Rally Championship.
Basso stamped his authority from the start of the first full day, after championship leader Kris Meeke won the opening superspecial on Thursday evening.
It was far from being an easy win. Basso's pace was slowed in the final part of the opening leg, when he lost the reverse gear in his Abarth Grande Punto S2000 and had to drive cautiously to avoid a spin from which he would have difficulty to escape.
Then on the final day with Portuguese star Bruno Magalhaes in his Peugeot 207 S2000 persistent in pursuit, Basso spun just three stages from home. Magalhaes struck back with two straight stage wins to close the gap down to under eight seconds. Yet at the finish the Italian had just enough in reserve to hold on.
"It was fast, nervous and exciting," said an elated Basso. "The team has been working hard and the car was strong. This event is very special to me, and to make my third win here after losing on the last stage last year is fantastic."
No less thrilled to be runner-up against the IRC front-runners, Magalhaes was equally demonstrative. "It's a great honor for me to be able to perform so strongly among such great drivers," he said. "It was a long rally, very tense at the finish but second place really feels like a win to me."
It was championship leader Kris Meeke in his Peugeot 207 S2000 who took an early lead in Madeira with an exceptional drive through the streets of Funchal to claim Thursday evening's superspecial by 0.9 seconds.
But when the rally headed out into the green and mountainous roads around the island, Basso's experience came to the fore and he put together a string of eight fastest stage times to go into the lead at the end of Leg 1.
At the start of Day Two, Basso had a fresh gearbox in his Grande Punto a then set about to trade fastest stage times with Magalia’s.
Defending IRC champion Nicolas Vouilloz won SS18 to close up on Alex Camacho in third-place. Yet the positions were static even though the speed advantage ebbed and flowed from driver to driver.
"We started a little slow, though we were trying to go fast," said Vouilloz. "I'm not really happy about the weekend but the car was good today and we were able to drive to the maximum."
Peugeot filled eight of the top 10 positions. A duel between Meeke and Freddy Loix was proved to be another exciting battle that raged throughout the event for fifth place and may well prove pivotal for the championship.
Meeke held a six point advantage over Loix Going in to the Rally Madeira. Now the Briton has 34 points, Jan Kopecky has 29 and both Loix and Basso have 27.
"This is a very, very special rally," Meeke said. "To come here for the first time and win would be impossible, the top four guys were incredible and to be just over a minute behind after three hours is amazing. The points you win on a bad weekend are the ones that count the most."
Top 10 Finishers
1 Giandomenico Basso (I) Abarth Grande Punto S2000 3hrs 9m 55.4s
2 Bruno Magalhaes (P) Peugeot 207 S2000 +3.5s
3 Alex Camacho (P) Peugeot 207 S2000 +41.7s
4 Nicolas Vouilloz (F) Peugeot 207 S2000 +49.4s
5 Kris Meeke (GB) Peugeot 207 S2000 +1m 21.9s
6 Freddy Loix (B) Peugeot 207 S2000 +1m 28.4s
7 Miguel Nunes (P) Peugeot 207 S2000 +4m 57.9s
8 Corrado Fontana (I) Peugeot 207 S2000 +5m 50.6s
9 Michal Solowow (PL) Peugeot 207 S2000 +7m 29.9s
10 Guy Wilks (GB) Proton Satria Neo S2000 +10m 40.8s
IRC Drivers' positions after 7 of 11 Rounds
1 Kris Meeke (GB) 34 points
2 Jan Kopecky (CZ) 29
3 Giandomenico Basso (I) 27
= Freddy Loix (B) 27
5 Nicolas Vouilloz (F) 19
6 Juho Hanninen (F) 14
7 Sebastien Ogier (F) 10
= Carl Tundo (EAK) 10
9 Alistair Cavanagh (GB) 8
= Bruno Magalhaes (P) 8
Photo & Quotes: IRC
Portugal enter the new 2009-2010 with it all to do if they are to book their place at the World Cup in South Africa next year.
Semi-finalists in Germany three years ago under Luiz Felipe Scolari, the Brazilian left the national team last summer reaching the quarter-finals of Euro 2008 after five years in charge.
The 2002 World Cup winner was replaced in the hot seat by former Real Madrid manager and Manchester United number two Carlos Queiroz.
However, the transition between coaches has been far from seamless and under Queiroz Portugal have now dropped to 17th in the FIFA World Rankings, their lowest position since June 2004 when they were ranked 22nd on the back of playing no competitive football prior to hosting Euro 2004.
The Portuguese have so far struggled to third place in their qualifying group, winning only two of their six matches so far. Therefore, Queiroz’s side will approach the new season’s fixtures with some trepidation with little or no margin for error left if they are to survive the tightest qualifying group in Europe.
First up, however, for Portugal is a friendly fixture in August against Liechtenstein. Queiroz’s troops will seek a moral boosting win over the minnows ranked 156th in the world as they seek a winning start to the season.
Next up in September is a trip to Denmark in an absolute "make-or-break" qualification match. Portugal squandered a 2-1 lead with only minutes to go to lose 3-2 when they faced the Danes in Lisbon last year, and have been playing catch-up in the group ever since.
Whereas Portugal have continued to stumble, Denmark have yet to break stride in an impressive campaign including wrapping up a vital three points away to Sweden at the end of last season and have now leapfrogged Portugal in the FIFA World Rankings to 15th.
Portugal must win in Copenhagen to stand any realistic chance of topping the group and gaining automatic qualification for South Africa. However, even such a victory would still leave them chasing a four-point deficit with only three games remaining.
A draw would all but end their automatic hopes (keeping the gap at seven points with only nine left to play for) whereas a home win would leave Portugal only able to chase down Hungary for second-place and a probable play-off place.
Four days after Copenhagen and Cristiano Ronaldo and co will again be on the road as they face Hungary in Budapest at the Ferenc Puskas Stadium in what is another must-win match.
Portugal currently trail the Hungarians by four points and will without doubt have to win in Budapest if they are to at least finish second in the group. Any other result and Queiroz will be hoping for an extremely unlikely sequence of results to fall his way in the last two games for qualification to be secured.
The group will be completed by the final two rounds of games in October. Perhaps, crucially Portugal will be at home for both of these games.
First they host Hungary on Saturday 10 October and will most likely need to beat their opponents for the second time within a month if they are to keep their South African dream on track.
On the same night Denmark will be hosting Sweden in what will most likely prove the decisive night in the group.
Four days later Portugal will finish the group with a home game against Malta in Guimarães. One way or another Portugal will require the three points either in a race for first or second place and will be expected to win emphatically against the whipping boys of the section.
Portugal have yet to schedule any games for November and will realistically be hoping that they will have a two-legged Play-Off for a World Cup place to occupy them during this month.
Even if Portugal were to win all four of their games a place at the top of the group looks beyond them at this point in time and only an almighty collapse from Denmark could present Portugal with such an opportunity.
Whilst anything is still possible this does indeed look a long shot given the form already displayed by all teams involved so far.
The key factor for Portugal will be the form of Cristiano Ronaldo, the current FIFA World Player of the Year. The forward hit seven goals in qualifying for the 2006 World Cup and then bagged eight during Euro 2008 qualifying but has yet to find the net in six qualifiers so far this time.
Queiroz will need his captain to produce goals and lead his team when they need it most in the forthcoming qualifiers.
Portugal were favourites to qualify at the very start of the group but their historical record in World Cup Qualification is surprisingly poor suggesting that their absence from South Africa next year should perhaps not be the greatest shock.
They have qualified for the past two World Cups but overall have a very poor record, having only ever participated in four World Cup finals—1966, 1986, 2002, and 2006. However, in their first and last appearance they did finish third and fourth respectively.
Portugal’s Fixtures for 2009-2010
(as announced so far)
Wed 12 Aug Liechtenstein vs. Portugal Friendly
Sat 5 Sept Denmark vs. Portugal World Cup Qualifier
Wed 9 Sept Hungary vs. Portugal World Cup Qualifier
Sat 10 Oct Portugal vs. Hungary World Cup Qualifier
Wed 14 Oct Portugal vs. Malta World Cup Qualifier
Portugal needed a goal deep into injury time to eventually defeat Albania and keep them in contention in their World Cup Qualifying group.
Defender Bruno Alves struck in the third minute of added time at the end of the match to secure the precious three points for Portugal, enough to probably keep coach Carlos Queiroz in a job until at least the start of next season.
Striker Hugo Almeida had initially given Queiroz’s side the lead in the 28thminute, but this lead lasted barely a minute before the home side struck straight back with an equaliser from Erjon Bogdani.
Portugal appeared to be heading for their fourth consecutive draw in the group before Alves late goal salvaged the three points and moved them to within four points of second-placed Hungary who they still have to play twice next season.
The other game in the group saw Denmark travel to Solna to take on Sweden and it was Morten Olsen’s visiting side that would leave with the win which moved them three points clear at the top of the group.
However, it could have all been so different for the Swedes when they were awarded a penalty early on in the first-half, but Kim Kallstrom’s effort from the spot was poor and Thomas Sorenson pulled off the save.
Ten minutes later at the mid-point of the first-half and Sweden were made to pay for missing such a golden opportunity when Denmark’s Thomas Kahlenberg seized on a defensive error to fire in what would prove to be the winning goal.
Sweden are now ten points behind their Scandinavian neighbours and seven behind Hungary, albeit with a game in hand.
They face Maltaon Wednesday in the last group match of the season but will do so without captain Henrik Larsson who was yesterday forced to quit the national camp ahead of the qualifier after the death of his younger brother.
Group 1 Results, Fixtures and Standings
Sat 06 June Albania 1 – 2 Portugal
Sweden 0 – 1 Denmark
Wed 10 June Sweden vs. Malta, (Gothenburg)
P PTS
1 Denmark 6 16
2 Hungary 6 13
3 Portugal 6 9
4 Sweden 5 6
5 Albania 8 6
6 Malta 7 1
There is no doubt about it—Cristiano Ronaldo is a worldwide phenomenon.
Millions around the world love him. Manchester United fans, Sporting Lisbon fans, football fans, sports fans in general, the Portuguese public—and of course, girls everywhere—idolise this man.
But there are also millions who hate him. His diving in matches, feigning of injury, general on-pitch antics, and perhaps jealousy of his good looks and how successful he's been just for playing football, have at times made this man become public enemy No.1.
Like he says in the introduction of his autobiography Moments, "I know [the name Cristiano Ronaldo] means a lot to those who love football. They know me very well... they know how I play, how I dribble. They understand my style.
"But there is a lot about me that nobody knows."
The name Cristiano Ronaldo generates 16,200,000 search results on Google, with many articles being published about him, his career, his girlfriends, his "party lifestyle", etc, etc.
But as the Portuguese superstar states, there are not many who know the true Cristiano Ronaldo.
There has been an unprecedented amount of speculation concerning Ronaldo's career and his potential moves to Real Madrid.
Many question his loyalty to Manchester United, saying that he does not really care about the English champions and is only interested in himself.
In the third paragraph of the introduction page however, he says: "I intend to dedicate a large part of [Moments] to the Manchester United victories, to the club that really made me famous.
"I will never forget United, for its strength, for the pleasure I have in wearing their shirt."
Many around the world claim to know what Cristiano Ronaldo is all about, but I don't feel that is really possible until they have read his autobiography, Moments, which contrary to what some people say, does provide a realistic insight into the life of the Portuguese maestro.
So, to tell you a little bit about the life of the man everyone talks about, here is Cristiano Ronaldo on...
Football
"Football is my life, my great passion, my pleasure."
In the title of the chapter about football, Ronaldo calls the sport "God's Blessing", and says he cannot imagine his life without "training, the pitch, the match, the enthusiasm, or the thrill of the competition."
I've read many articles on this man, and some have questioned the United winger's desire to play football. If the above isn't enough, he goes on to say: "I thank God for the ability to pursue the activity I love."
Almost being bullied out of the sport
"It was the period of my life when I considered giving everything up."
Ronaldo left his family and friends from his native island of Madiera behind to join the Sporting Lisbon academy when he was 12 years old.
He stayed in Sporting's boarding house, and lived with kids of all different ages in the Sporting youth academy.
The title of this section in his book is: "Living in the boarding house and the desire to give up."
He says that the time spent in Sporting's academy "were difficult moments, mainly for missing my family, but also because my accent had been for a long time a target for mockery."
As many Portuguese will know, the accents from islands such as Madiera can be hard for people on the Portugal mainland to understand.
Ronaldo was educated at the Sporting Lisbon school, and he recalls of time in class where "kids at the back of the room starting laughing and making fun of my accent."
Apart from the mockery of his accent, the other issue that faced Ronaldo at the time was his family.
As anyone who has left their family or loved ones for a long time will know, it can be quite an upsetting experience being away from the people you love for a very long period of time.
And this was no different for the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year, who went on to say: "As soon as I heard the voices of my relatives I began to miss them more. I cried almost everyday. I never felt so homesick.
"And that was why I wanted to give up this opportunity. That situation haunted me with terrible frequency."
Sporting Lisbon
"Sporting's first-team coach Lazslo Boloni will always be my first point of reference, because he was the one to launch me into professional football."
The name Cristiano Ronaldo only became known to Portuguese football followers in the 2002/03 season, where the teenage sensation from the youth team made a big impact in the Portuguese Liga.
His time at the club can best be described when he says: "It was in my second season with Sporting's first-team that I felt more confident and integrated.
"I passed from anonymity to be in the newspaper headlines, which were already suggesting names of clubs interested in me."
Throughout his professional Sporting Lisbon career, Ronaldo made a massive impact on the team. Even on his debut, he made such an impact that his mother fell ill.
And the ex-Sporting star said this was caused by "the emotion, the pride of seeing her son fulfilling himself both professionally and personally." He scored twice, his first ever professional goals in football.
Manchester United
"I was dreaming. At the age of 17 I had my professional debut at Sporting and by the age of 18, I was transferred to Manchester United. Impossible?"
Many already know about the Manchester United career of Cristiano Ronaldo, so there is no point in going over that. Instead, I will tell you the thoughts he had about joining United.
When Ronaldo first signed for Manchester United, he recalls: "I was very nervous, not about being a football player at that magnificent club, but because my English was very poor."
Once he had signed for United, Ronaldo was convinced he would be heading back on loan to Sporting for a season, which would give him enough time to learn English and ensure than when he came back, "everything would be stabalised."
But being the manager he is, Sir Alex Ferguson had other ideas, saying to Ronaldo: "We are interested in you, but for this year, you are going to stay," which left the Portuguese "surprised and a little worried", as he had not even had time to take some spare clothes with him upon signing for United.
After enduring a tough time at Sporting in the academy, life seemed to change dramatically for Ronaldo upon arrival in Manchester.
"I was more mature. I was calmer, I believed in myself. I had definitely overcome my lack of confidence and my fear of failing", he recalls.
For any football player, it surely must be a dream to play at Old Trafford, dubbed by Manchester United the Theatre of Dreams.
Of course, Cristiano Ronaldo is lucky enough to play there for 25+ games a season, and on the home of United, he said: "Old Trafford is magnificent. I had never before seen anything so impressive.
"With over 75,000 fervent supporters, there is an atmosphere both chilling and thrilling."
His coaches
"With Scolari I was always learning. He is very special to me. I cannot stop repeating this, and I do not mean to "butter him up" as you might say."
Excluding at youth level, Cristiano Ronaldo (at the time of his book) had only ever played under three coaches; Laszlo Boloni at Sporting Lisbon, Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, and Luiz Felipe Scolari in the Portuguese national team.
On his first coach Boloni, Ronaldo admits that he was not as close to him as the other two, saying: "I cannot say I have the same close relationship with him that I have with Alex Ferguson or with Scolari; he is less expansive."
However, it is a different story with Luiz Felipe Scolari. The Brazilian was the first to launch Ronaldo's international career, and "for this reason alone I would consider him a very special person.
"But Scolari did much more than that. I will never forget the talk we had when my father died. I was deeply touched by it.
"I understood that he had lived an identical experience when his father had died and we both cried."
And a few paragraphs later when Ronaldo talks about the Red Devils' supremo, he says: "Sir Alex Ferguson is also a very caring coach, and he and I have a relationship that goes far beyond what is usual for a football player and the coach. He is incredible.
"In fact, I can even say that I signed for Manchester United because of him, and that it is in part due to him that I am still with the club and in England."
Jorge Mendes
"He is a friend who helps me make long-term decisions in life. He will always have a special place in my heart for all he means to me."
The title of this little page in the book is "My friend and managing agent, Jorge Mendes."
Jorge Mendes is Cristiano Ronaldo's agent, and has been since Ronaldo was 17. And Ronaldo "instantly recognised what kind of person I had in front of me [when I first met him].
"His only goal was to support me and help me to evolve in my career. Above all, in no time I understood that he was a good man and a friend for life, so I put all my trust in him."
Following Ronaldo's on-pitch drama with Wayne Rooney in the England-Portugal match at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, there was a lot of talk about Ronaldo leaving Manchester United.
Ronaldo publicly said he wanted to leave the club, but apparently it was his agent Jorge Mendes who told him to stay more than anyone.
In his book, Ronaldo says that almost everyday in the summer after the World Cup Jorge Mendes would say him, "Do things calmly. Do not rush. Manchester [United] is the right club for you.
"Stay at United and then you will see if I am right or not."
The Manchester United star ends the page by saying: "It was undoubtedly the right decision. And now we have the confirmation."
And here are a few things about Cristiano Ronaldo in his autobiography Moments, outside of football, that you might not have known about:
Millions around the world claim to know who Cristiano Ronaldo is.
He is very often in the headlines; the top story when it comes to football, Manchester United and Real Madrid.
Many know what he says about his future at United, and that he likes Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, AC Milan, and would one day even like to play in the MLS.
Whether you love him or you hate him, you cannot escape the media coverage and excessive articles written about the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year.
Whether you love him or you hate him, I hope you've enjoyed this article, and after reading it know a bit more about the worldwide phenomenon that is, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Last night, I saw Cristiano Ronaldo in his shower robe.
Now I know what you’re thinking, and I’ll tell you: I’m no hooker, masseuse, or trainer, but I am lucky. Lucky enough to be on a post-graduation vacation to Portugal with my family, and lucky enough that our Marriott points put us in the same hotel that Portuguese national soccer team is staying in while they train for this weekend’s World Cup qualifying match against Albania.
And, oh yeah, lucky enough to see the best soccer player in the world walk by my room, faux-hawk and abnormally large Adam’s apple included.
I wasn’t quick enough with my camera to snap a photo of Cristiano in his robe, but I was able to get a few pictures of the team at practice. (See above) I’ll try to add more photos later, if possible. There's no press allowed here this week, but I'll see what I can do.
Turns out, the gang’s all here. I’m a football fan—American football that is—but even I know Nani, Deco, and Ricardo Carvalho. They’re hanging around the hotel, in plain view but at the same time unobtrusive. There’s no circus in the hotel lobby and I haven’t heard all-night parties or seen blonde bimbos stumbling through the halls. Because, it seems, these athletes are different from those that I’m used to.
It’s rare that a fan gets personal with professional athletes, and I’m living the dream right now. For a few days, it seems, we’ll be sharing the same space, eating the same food, and competing for the same bartenders. I know I’ll lose every time, but I’m still more excited than David Ortiz when he gets walked.
Though I don’t know all of their names, I am awed to be in the presence of 20 of the best 500, or so, soccer players in the world. And what’s even better, they’re not obnoxious! They seem like nice guys, not too cocky, not too loud. They even say hi when we pass in the halls.
As I write this in the lobby of the hotel, everyone is sporting Portuguese National Team jerseys. But it’s not like Boston where half the Sox jerseys would be pink; they’re green and red and they belong to real fans. If I’m awestruck at seeing Cristiano Ronaldo, they’re in heaven. But they’re not dumbstruck.
No one here rushes around demanding pictures or autographs, and no one makes a scene when they walk by. Instead, locals confine themselves to a polite nod and a smile. It’s like they know what kind of pressure the young men are under to perform on the biggest and brightest of the world’s sporting stages and intend to deflect some of the light’s searing heat while they’re off the pitch.
This respect, in turn, allows the team to be gracious and available. They’ve opened two practices to the public, and most players seem happy to sign autographs as they leave the field after practice. They can give some of their time to the fans because they know greedy fans won’t demand it all.
Here I am, writing a piece on the line between fan and fanatic, between public idolatry and private lives, and I can’t help but laugh. A young player, tatooed and tired, is listening to Lady Gaga. On his cellphone. In the lobby. I don’t know whether to chalk it up to being European or a professional athlete, but I know they’re not all perfect.
Seeing the players around the hotel has been eye-opening. They’re both separate and among the guests, both normal and extraordinary.
The 24-hour hotel gym was closed for two hours yesterday, as the players finished their workout. Though frustrated in my attempts to work off enough calories to enjoy dessert yesterday, I resolved to try again today. Hours ago I was pleasantly surprised to see that the gym was open, and as I stepped onto the treadmill I realized I was running next to Portuguese and FC Porto defender Bruno Alves.
After nearly toppling over, I smoothly picked up the pace and swore at my iPod, as if to blame it for my stumble. I casually looked over at Alves to make sure he thought I was cool. He didn’t care, he was on mile number four and hadn’t truly broken a sweat.
As one might expect, the players are in peak physical condition. I tired myself out after a light lift and a brisk two mile jog (hello dessert!), while these guys could run for days farther than I can drive. But I did out-bench Portuguese and Belenenses defender Jorge Pires da Fonseca Rolando. Booyeah.
I’ve never felt closer to professional athletes, because I’ve never been closer. But at the same time, I’ve never seen them as my peers. Sure, they’re better athletes, but I can dance in a hotel lobby way better than that doofus.
The best sports fans are the most passionate, there’s no denying that. But the only way fans can get closer to meeting their idols is by treating them as mortals. Staying with the Portuguese National Soccer Team has been awesome.
Whoops, here comes Cristiano!
Carlos Queiroz faces a must-win game as he prepares to take his Portugal side to Tirana to face Albania in a World Cup Qualifier. Portugal’s position in Group 1 is dire; they have recorded just one win and have a paltry six points to show from their five games.
The Portugal boss know that a repeat of the performance or result from the two nations' last meeting would most likely leave him hanging onto his position as national manager by a thread.
Albania visited Braga to take on Portugal last October and left with a 0-0 draw, despite playing over half of the match with 10 men after having a man sent off towards the end of the first half.
The match will be the first for Albania’s yet-to-be-named new manager after the resignation of former Dutch international Ari Haan last month.
Albania are currently ranked 92nd in the FIFA World Rankings and anything other than a win will be deemed an embarrassment too far for the "Federação Portuguesa de Futebol" (Portuguese Football Federation).
Queiroz will be keen for national captain and World Footballer of the Year, Cristiano Ronaldo, to regain his international form as Portugal have failed to find the net in each of their last three World Cup Qualifiers. Failure to do so again would perhaps fatally wound their hopes of reaching South Africa next summer.
Elsewhere in Group 1, Sweden take on Denmark in a huge clash in Solna. Sweden currently trail group leaders Denmark by seven points, albeit with a game in hand, and recognise that they must beat their Scandinavian rivals on Saturday if they are to have any chance of topping the group.
Sweden host Malta four days later in Gothenburg in a match which wraps up Group 1 for the current season.
Denmark have impressed greatly so far, racking up four wins out of five, including a 3-2 success in Lisbon. However, despite their current strong position, defeat in Sweden coupled with a victory for Portugal in Albania would throw the group wide open, with more key qualifiers to come in September and October.
However, Danish coach Morten Olsen will be unable to call on Martin Lauren for the key match in Sweden after the veteran defender announced his retirement from football due to persistent injury problems.
Laursen is only 31 and won 53 caps for Denmark, appearing in the first three qualifiers of this campaign, and his absence will come as a huge blow for Olsen.
Group 1
Denmark 5 13
Hungary 6 13
Portugal 5 6
Sweden 4 6
Albania 7 6
Malta 7 1
Group 1 Fixtures
Sat 6 June Sweden vs. Denmark, Solna
Sat 6 June Albania vs. Portugal, Tirana
Wed 10 June Sweden vs. Malta, Gothenburg
