Cristiano Ronaldo, left, hopes to help Portugal reach new heights in South Africa.
Cristiano Ronaldo, left, hopes to help Portugal reach new heights in South Africa.

Ronaldo: a player at home under the spotlight



For Cristiano Ronaldo, there is no such thing as a mundane match. Every game becomes an event for the super-skilled superstar. The cameras are trained upon him, and there is inevitably something to capture. Take this World Cup. Ronaldo began against Ivory Coast, rattling the woodwork with a trademark long-range strike, riling the Africans, who felt he was trying to get them sent off and collecting a caution that Portugal unsuccessfully appealed.

It proceeded against North Korea, Ronaldo contriving to control the ball on the back of his neck before scoring the sixth of Portugal's seven goals in the tournament's biggest win so far. Then came the Brazilians for a sour stalemate in which Ronaldo was a surprising choice as man-of-the-match for the third successive game. His nomination suggested Fifa simply opted for the most famous and glamorous player on show.

Now it is Spain. An Iberian derby, it offers Ronaldo the opportunity to emulate his status four years ago and become Public Enemy No 1 in the land where he plays. Then he was blamed, rather unfairly, for Wayne Rooney's red card. Now, having spent a year hankering for a move to Spain, he has spent a season at Real Madrid. As in 2006, the knockout stages of the World Cup provide both a reunion and the sort of contest normally only staged in training. Then he faced an England defence including Manchester United teammates Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand.

Now the Real contingent of Iker Casillas, the Spain goalkeeper, Sergio Ramos, the right-back, and Xabi Alonso, the defensive midfielder, must be primed to halt their club colleague. "Cristiano is very fast, strong and a speedster with the ball at his feet," Ramos states on Real's official website. "We have to prevent him from receiving the ball and having a lot of room to work with." Vicente del Bosque, the Spain manager, made a pertinent point. "Portugal are a great team and they're about more than just Cristiano Ronaldo," he says. "It's true that Cristiano is one of their best players, but we mustn't forget that the Portuguese are the only team that still haven't conceded a goal at this World Cup.

"Their game is based around defensive solidity, pace and counter-attacking, as well as having very skilful players." Ronaldo's capacity to occupy the imagination - and, some might say, his narcissistic love of the spotlight - can obscure others. Yet after an abject start to Carlos Queiroz's regime, Portugal have kept 22 clean sheets in 26 matches and gone 19 games unbeaten. Nor is Ronaldo the most obvious contributor to their resurgence. His two years as Portugal captain have brought a solitary strike in competitive games, the unconventional and goal-difference boosting, but otherwise irrelevant, effort against the North Koreans.

His trickery enabled him to torment the minnows in the second half but it was a game when the team galvanised the captain, rather than vice-versa. The criticism voiced in Portugal is that a similarly distinguished winger of an earlier generation, Luis Figo, was a more natural leader. Ronaldo is an instinctive individualist, Figo was a team man whose sweat for the cause was visible on his face. Each has operated in a common context: a gifted team lacking a top-quality goalscorer. Pauleta and Nuno Gomes, Figo's contemporaries, were prolific at lower levels but rarely in major tournaments. The current crop are short of a striker: Liedson led the line against Ivory Coast, Hugo Almeida took over for the North Korea game and then Ronaldo was shifted into the centre to take on Brazil.

Del Bosque's praise is justified by the reliability of Eduardo in goal, the composed defending of Ricardo Carvalho, the athleticism of the flying full-back Fabio Coentrao and the penetrative runs from midfield of Tiago. But come kick-off tonight, the focus, as ever, will be on one man: Cristiano Ronaldo. sports@thenational.ae

THE LIGHT

Director: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger

Rating: 3/5

Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
  • Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
  • Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
  • Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
 
 
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
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%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Michael%20Knights%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20256%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAvailable%3A%20January%2026%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid

When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

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Omar Yabroudi's factfile

Born: October 20, 1989, Sharjah

Education: Bachelor of Science and Football, Liverpool John Moores University

2010: Accrington Stanley FC, internship

2010-2012: Crystal Palace, performance analyst with U-18 academy

2012-2015: Barnet FC, first-team performance analyst/head of recruitment

2015-2017: Nottingham Forest, head of recruitment

2018-present: Crystal Palace, player recruitment manager

 

 

 

 

Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

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