According to coach Laszlo Boloni, the 17-year-old Ronaldo is much better than his teammates.
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest players in the history of world football. In his career so far, the 38-year-old superstar has won a total of 35 titles, including 5 C1 Cups, and was once crowned at the Euro with the national team.
Coach Laszlo Boloni discovered the talent of the Portuguese superstar. He quickly promoted CR7 to the first team at the age of 17, making his debut when Sporting Lisbon faced Inter Milan in the preliminary round of the 2002 C1 Cup.
Ronaldo played a total of 58 minutes in that confrontation. This performance impressed Boloni. He admitted that Ronaldo was much better than his teammates. The Romanian strategist admitted at the time that he believed CR7 could surpass Portuguese legends Luis Figo and Eusebio in the future.
Coach Boloni was the one who promoted Ronaldo to the first team. Photo: IG
“I went to the youth team and asked Ronaldo to go to the first team because he is in good shape, very fast, and has great technique,” Boloni told Spanish media.
“I don’t have to hesitate about this decision. When I saw Ronaldo play, I decided I couldn’t leave him on the youth team anymore. He plays and handles a lot better than his age.
In the dressing room, Ronaldo is a cheerful person, but when he walks out on the pitch, you can’t joke with him. The maturity of Ronaldo’s game is far different from that of a boy who is only 16 or 17 years old.
At the time, I didn’t know if he could become one of the greatest players. But I understand that, if he avoids injuries, Ronaldo will be very good. In an interview 20 years ago, I said he would surpass Figo and even the legendary Eusebio.”
Despite turning 71 this year, Boloni is still coaching. He is currently in the hot seat of Metz, who play in Ligue 1. Although he does not possess great achievements as a coach, this strategist is remembered for his support of CR7. Initially, he placed Ronaldo as a plug-in striker but switched to winger later. As a result, Ronaldo reached his full potential and caught the eye of United in 2003.
“He is still young and weighs only about 60kg. Therefore, Ronaldo has difficulty keeping the ball in front of central defenders, weighing about 100kg. If he is a winger, he will be more effective because of his speed and ability to move the ball. I am happy that I decided to let Ronaldo drift, even though at first he had some difficulties,” Boloni added.
Ronaldo poses with coach Boloni when he won his first Ballon d’Or in 2008. Photo: IG
According to this teacher, Ronaldo also has to slightly adjust his playing style to be more successful. “I try to tell him that passing the ball through 2 people is enough; 5 people is too much. I explained to him how effective it was to walk the ball. With his intelligence, Ronaldo is on the right track,” he added.
Asked about who is better, Ronaldo or Messi, Boloni quickly called out CR7. “I can’t help but be biased because Ronaldo has always been my favorite student. He was with me when we were both at Sporting.”
Over two decades of playing professional football, Ronaldo has perfected both physically and skillfully. At the age of 38, the Portuguese superstar can still play top football.
Last year, CR7 was the top scorer with 54 goals in all competitions. Ronaldo is expected to shine at Euro 2024, which could be the last of his career.