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Cristiano Ronaldo: Remembering Portugal star's unlikely Real Madrid debut

20 July 2022 20 July 2022 . From the section European Football

When Cristiano Ronaldo appeared on stage at his Real Madrid unveiling on 6 July 2009, he was greeted by over 80,000 fans at the Bernabeu desperate to get a glimpse of the world's most expensive footballer.

It was a welcome befitting of the 24-year-old's status, having left Manchester United for £80m as the holder of the Ballon d'Or award for the world's best player.

His debut in the famous white shirt could hardly have been more of a contrast, though.

Two weeks later, on 20 July, he was in the town of Tallaght in south Dublin. Irish Premier Division side Shamrock Rovers, a team which included a number of part-timers, were his opposition.

"It was an agent who set it up," Jonathan Roche, Rovers chairman at the time, tells BBC Sport.

"Madrid were training at Carton House, a base in Dublin, and the only club it would be appropriate to play was us. They hadn't signed Ronaldo at this point; that made it even bigger."

'We had to ignore the build-up'

Rumours abounded that one of the biggest clubs in the world were coming to Tallaght - but initially, even the players did not really believe it.

"We read it in the papers first, and everybody was saying, 'nah, it won't happen, it won't happen'," former striker Padraig Amond recalls.

The Hoops had only recently moved into a new stadium and a new area after 25 years of groundsharing, but it was still under construction, so temporary seats were required to cope with demand for tickets.

Nearly 12,000 fans were in attendance, raising the capacity from 3,000. Tickets sold out in no time, while Sky Sports cameras broadcasted the game to the United Kingdom.

Rovers' manager was Michael O'Neill, who went on to be Northern Ireland boss and is now in charge of Stoke City.

At the same time as preparing for this high-profile encounter, the Irish domestic season was in full swing and Rovers were in the middle of an ultimately successful title charge. Only 48 hours earlier, they had faced Sligo Rovers.

"We had to ignore the build-up, and we were left open for massive criticism if we didn't turn up for the league game," Amond continues.

"The club was always going to make money out of Real Madrid regardless of the result. That game was about the title race and making sure we didn't take our eye off the ball. But we won the game."

'I took the ball and Ronaldo with it'

Matchday arrived and the excitement was palpable. Ronaldo would start the game alongside Raul, Marcelo and Guti, while another debutant, Karim Benzema, came on at half-time. The different worlds soon became abundantly clear to defender Pat Flynn.

"They arrived in this really glamorous team bus. I work for Coca-Cola, so it was quite a picture, me parking up next to them in my van," Flynn laughs.

In the dressing room, O'Neill was relaxed before kick-off.

"He was just having a laugh with us," Amond says. "He was looking at the team sheet and saying, 'lads, what more am I supposed to say to you? It is Real Madrid. Just enjoy it.'

"We were going through who was marking who in the dressing room. The team sheet had all the official names, and obviously the Brazilian and Portuguese players often play with nicknames on their shirt.

"We didn't recognise one of them and thought he must have been a centre-half. It was only when he were stood in the tunnel that we realised it was Pepe!

"He was in the middle of serving a 10-game ban [after a red card against Getafe the previous April], but because it was a friendly, he was allowed to play."

Just minutes into the game, Flynn clattered into Ronaldo, upending the main attraction of the day.

"People were talking up the idea of me against him, and me as some kind of hard man. I'm not even sure if that is true or not," he says with a chuckle.

"One of the papers put a picture of me with blood running down my face next to him looking all pristine.

"But I played right-back and he was right-wing, on the opposite side. He came inside and took three of our players out of the game. He got to me, the ball was there to be won. I took it and him with it; it was a great tackle and feeling. He just looked and thought, 'What just happened?'"

'The stars just aligned'

The game was goalless for 88 minutes but Real Madrid eventually prevailed 1-0 through Benzema's late winner. Real made their only moment of true quality pay, with Ronaldo substituted after a rather ineffectual first-half performance, during which he was constantly booed by the home fans.

The players' attention quickly turned to shirt swapping.

"There were loads of the lads asking for Ronaldo's," Amond remembers. "But he kept it because it was his debut.

"I saw Raul fiddling with his captain's armband just before half-time and thought he was coming off so I asked for his shirt. He said yes and gestured for mine; I had to tell him I'd be playing the second half.

"At full-time, there was a knock on the dressing-room door and Raul was there asking for my shirt. I don't know if he needed something to clean his car with or something!"

Over a decade on, Shamrock Rovers are still reaping the rewards from that day, re-establishing themselves as a force in Irish football and becoming a more regular fixture in Europe, too.

"The stars just aligned. It could never happen now," Roche concludes.

"It was more than a friendly, it implanted our brand on the new stadium. We brought Real Madrid here and it showed what a football club can do for an area."

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Cristiano Ronaldo welcomed by 80,000 fans at Real Madrid unveiling

Cristiano Ronaldo has been presented to the world as a Real Madrid player this evening, in front of 80,000 fans at the Bernabéu. The Portuguese winger, wearing the No9 jersey once worn by the Madrid great Alfredo di Stefano, was greeted rapturously by the packed stadium. Supporters had been queuing outside the Bernabéu for much of the day in order to gain access to the brief ceremony.

With the pitch currently being relaid, Ronaldo emerged from the tunnel on to a lime green carpet and made his way to a stage on which Florentino Pérez, the Real owner, Di Stefano and the former Portugal striker Eusebio waited. On his arrival Ronaldo made a brief speech, before touring the pitch, waving to fans. "I am just so happy to be here," he said. "For me, I have made my childhood dream a reality, which was nothing less than playing for Real Madrid . I didn't expect a jam-packed stadium – this is truly impressive."

The £80m signing signed a six-year contract this afternoon. "This is a spectacular day. I am very happy. I am anxious to go through with it and to start playing for this great team," he told the Real website today. "To me this is a dream come true. I've stated several times that my intention was always to play for Real Madrid. I wanted to be here, at this club, and do whatever I can to help the team."

Pérez claimed tonight's events "might not have a precedent". He said: "We are very satisfied to know that you made the firm decision to play for Real Madrid." He told Ronaldo what to expect from his new adoring fans, adding: "They will ask of you the very best, but will also give you their all."

• In pictures: Ronaldo laps up the fans' applause • Will Ronaldo be a success? Vote now in our poll • In video: Fans try to get a glimpse of their new No9 • Today's Rumour Mill: Huntelaar to Man Utd?

Ronaldo is the third player to be unveiled by Madrid since Pérez returned to the presidency at the start of June, following in the footsteps of Kaka and Raul Albiol. The Brazil playmaker Kaka was a reported £56m signing from Milan , while the Spain centre-back Albiol was brought in from Valencia for a fee believed to be around £13m.

Madrid have also agreed a deal with Lyon for their striker Karim Benzema for an initial fee of £30m , a transfer that takes the Spanish giants' summer spending close to £200m.

Tonight's attendance at the Bernabéu swamped the estimated 55,000 that watched Kaka's unveiling here last Tuesday, and is believed to be the biggest turn-out for a presentation since a reported 75,000 saw the arrival of Diego Maradona at Napoli from Barcelona in 1984.

Earlier today Ronaldo, the reigning Fifa World Player of the Year, successfully completed his medical with Madrid after landing in the Spanish capital just after midday. Carlos Diez, Real Madrid's medical chief, said: "[Ronaldo] is in perfect condition and very eager to start the season as soon as possible."

Ronaldo had already undergone initial medical tests with the Spanish giants while on holiday in Portugal last month, which the player claimed at the time had gone "perfectly".

Diez added: "He has an extraordinary cardiac and lung capacity. We have complemented everything that we already did in Portugal and done all the specific tests. Now we will be able to start working using an individual plan in order to improve his performance. For him [Ronaldo], it's a dream, and this dream starts to convert into reality from today."

In pictures: Ronaldo's grand unveiling

• Cristiano Ronaldo
• Real Madrid
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Así fue la presentación de Cristiano Ronaldo con el Real Madrid, hoy hace nueve años.

El bernabéu a reventar, 90 mil personas fueron testigos de la llegada del jugador que cambió y mejoró todo en el equipo merengue..

Cristiano Ronaldo

Who Is Cristiano Ronaldo?

In the 2004 FA Cup final, Ronaldo scored Manchester's first three goals and helped them capture the championship. He set a franchise record for goals scored in 2008, before Real Madrid paid a record $131 million for his services the following year.

Among his many accomplishments, he has won a record-tying five Ballon d'Or awards for player of the year, and led Portugal to an emotional victory in the 2016 European Championship. In July 2018, Ronaldo embarked on a new phase of his career by signing with Italian Serie A club Juventus .

Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985, in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, a small island off the western coast of the country. Ronaldo is the youngest of four children born to Maria Dolores dos Santos and José Dinis Aveiro. He was named after Ronald Reagan , one of his father's favorite actors.

Ronaldo grew up in a largely working class neighborhood in a small tin-roofed home that overlooked the ocean. Ronaldo was introduced to the game of soccer through his dad, who worked as an equipment manager at a boy's club.

His early life was shaped by hardship, as his father often drank too much. To help keep the children fed and maintain some financial stability, Ronaldo's mother worked as a cook and cleaning person.

In 2005, when Ronaldo was playing for Manchester United, his father died from alcohol-related kidney problems; in 2007, his mother struggled with breast cancer. The former was especially hard for Ronaldo since he and his dad had been close.

The young athlete had often pushed for his father to enter rehab and address his drinking. His father, however, never accepted the offer.

By the time he was 10 years old, Ronaldo was already recognized as a phenomenon — a kid who ate, slept and drank soccer. "All he wanted to do as a boy was play football," his godfather, Fernao Sousa, recalled for British reporters, adding, "He loved the game so much he'd miss meals or escape out of his bedroom window with a ball when he was supposed to be doing his homework."

By his early teens, Ronaldo's talent and legend had grown considerably. After a stint with Nacional da liha da Madeira, he signed with Sporting Portugal in 2001.

Soccer Career

Manchester united.

In 2001, when Ronaldo was just 16 years old, Manchester United paid more than £12 million to sign him — a record fee for a player of his age.

Ronaldo had turned heads with a mesmerizing performance with Portugal against Manchester, wowing even his opponents with his footwork and deft skill. He made such an impression that a number of United players asked their manager to try and sign the young player, which the team soon did.

Ronaldo did not disappoint the soccer world: He showed his promise early on in the 2004 FA Cup final, scoring the team's first three goals and helping them capture the championship. In 2007, Ronaldo signed a five-year, £31 million contract.

A year later, Ronaldo again justified his high salary when he put together one of the club's finest seasons in history, setting a franchise record for goals scored (42), and earning himself the FIFA World Player of the Year honor for 2008. In all, Ronaldo helped steer Manchester United to three premier league titles.

Real Madrid

In 2009, the Spanish soccer club Real Madrid agreed to pay Manchester United a record $131 million for the chance to sign Ronaldo. Ronaldo’s commitment to Manchester United had come under constant question, and speculation swirled that he wanted to play elsewhere, so nobody was all that surprised to see Ronaldo leave.

"I know that they are going to demand a lot of me to be successful at the club and I know that I'm going to have much more pressure than at Manchester United because I was there for many years," Ronaldo told reporters. "But it means a new challenge and is going to help me be the best footballer."

Ronaldo went on to compile an impressive list of individual honors and team trophies. In December 2016, he won his fourth Ballon d'Or award as the sport's player of the year, beating out FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi .

Ronaldo’s 2016 wins included the European Championship, Champions League and Club World Cup, plus individual awards from UEFA and France Football magazine. The following year, he claimed a fifth Ballon d'Or to tie the mark held by his longtime rival, Messi.

After dropping hints that his time with Real was coming to an end, Ronaldo confirmed the rumors in July 2018 by signing with Italian Serie A club Juventus, which paid a $140 million transfer fee to his old Spanish club.

Ronaldo paid tribute to Real fans in an open letter on the club's website, writing: "These years at Real Madrid and in this city of Madrid have quite possibly been the happiest years of my life. I only have feelings of great gratitude to this club, to the fans and to the city. I can only give thanks to all of them for the love and affection that I have received."

By most measures, Ronaldo's debut season with Juventus was a successful one. He scored 10 times in his first 14 games, and headed home the lone goal in a win over AC Milan for the Supercoppa Italiana trophy. After leading his club to its eighth consecutive Serie A title, he was named the league's MVP in May 2019.

Return to Manchester United

On August 27, 2021, it was announced that Ronaldo would return to Manchester United.

Portugal National Team

On July 10, 2016, Ronaldo added an emotional victory to his collection. As his national team's captain, Ronaldo led Portugal to the European Championship final against France.

Although he was sidelined after suffering a knee injury 25 minutes into the match, Portugal went on to win the championship title 1-0, their first international trophy. Ronaldo's teammates said that he motivated them as team captain from the sidelines.

"He gave us a lot of confidence and he said, 'Listen people, I'm sure we will win this Euro so stay together and fight for it,’” fullback Cedric Soares said after Portugal’s victory.

"This is one of the happiest moments in my career,” Ronaldo commented. ”I’ve always said I wanted to win a trophy with the national team and make history. And I did it. Thank God, things went well for us."

Ronaldo got off to a tremendous start at the 2018 World Cup, blasting home three goals in an opening draw vs. Spain, before adding another vs. Morocco to set a European record with his 85th international goal.

However, he was held scoreless in a 2-1 loss to Uruguay in the knockout stage, after which he declined to comment on his future with the national team.

DOWNLOAD BIOGRAPHY'S CRISTIANO RONALDO FACT CARD

Personal Life

Ronaldo is dating the Spanish model Georgina Rodriguez; the couple was first seen together publicly around November 2016.

In June 2017, the couple welcomed twins, a boy and a girl, via a surrogate. In November 2017, Rodriguez added to their family with the birth of another girl.

Ronaldo’s first child, Cristiano Jr., was born to a former girlfriend in June 2010.

Statue at the Madeira Airport

In March 2017, self-taught sculptor Emanuel Santos unveiled a bronze bust of Ronaldo at the airport in Ronaldo’s hometown of Madeira, Portugal. The statue was ridiculed for its sinister smile and apparent lack of likeness to its subject, though Santos didn't seem to understand the uproar.

"I asked [Ronaldo] what he thought of the result and he said he liked it," said Santos. "He only asked for some wrinkles that give him a certain expression to his face when he laughs to be changed. He said it made him look older and asked for it to be thinned out a bit to make it smoother and more jovial."

In the wake of the negative publicity, the sports site Bleacher Report commissioned Santos to fashion another sculpture of Ronaldo. This one, unveiled in March 2018, earned praise for more closely resembling the soccer great, though its creator continued to defend his original work.

"I liked the result [of the first bust] and was really proud of it," he told Bleacher Report. "And if I had to do it again, I would make everything exactly the same."

Sexual Assault Investigation

In 2018, police in Las Vegas, Nevada, reopened a 9-year old investigation into claims that Ronaldo had raped a woman in his hotel room. The accuser also filed a civil lawsuit against the star athlete.

The following summer, the district attorney for Clark County, Nevada, announced that he had reviewed the case and would not be pursuing criminal charges against Ronaldo.

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Ronaldo
• Birth Year: 1985
• Birth date: February 5, 1985
• Birth City: Funchal, Madeira
• Birth Country: Portugal
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Cristiano Ronaldo is a professional soccer player who has set records while playing for the Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus clubs, as well as the Portuguese national team.
• Astrological Sign: Aquarius
• Nacionalities
• Interesting Facts
• When Cristiano Ronaldo was just 16 years old, Manchester United paid more than £12 million to sign him — a record fee for a player of his age.

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us !

CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Cristiano Ronaldo Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/athletes/cristiano-ronaldo
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: August 31, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014
• Many people look at me and think they know me, but they don't at all.
• My father always taught me that when you help other people, then God will give you double.
• Listen, I'm not going to change the world. You're not going to change the world. But we can help, we can all help.
• When I was younger I couldn't understand the meaning of true friendship. Now I have more experience and I know who loves me without wanting anything.
• It means a new challenge and is going to help me be the best footballer."[On leaving Manchester United to play for Real Madrid.]
• I want to win all the trophies possible!
• I don't like to do things by halves. It has to be done well.
• Either you like me or not. There is nothing in between.
• I look at the ball, I look at the net and I say to myself, 'Take the kick, Ronaldo,' then I shoot.
• The goals I have scored are a consequence of the confidence I have.
• I keep to my word, my promise and dreams. I'll never close any door to any club.

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