Euro 2016 is over. As italian I would have liked an our victory, but it’s gone differently.
I was skeptical about the formula with 24 teams, but I must say that it was interesting. I was scared that there would be a lower quality, that would have partecipated teams too weaks and we would see goleadas. I change my mind. The enlargement has allow to teams less known but organized to show themself and all of them have stumped more famous teams.
There are people that have criticized the board imbalance. Really? The team winner is from that part of board. And then, my dears, the organizers couldn’t know that blasoned teams as England and Spain would pass with the second place, agree?
Now, we pass to the sporting side. I’m very happy that have won Portugal. At the club level, a great soccer tradition with Porto and Benfica, while at the national level, they hadn’t win nothing. Now, with this victory, they enter in the history. Fair. Sure, if there is a God of soccer, He should be to win also a world cup both Portugal and Holland, but time to time.
This hasn’t been a victory of a soloist, but of a team, guided by Fernando Santos, showing defensive solidity and tactical intelligence.
But this is also Cristiano Ronaldo’s victory. In these years, the medias have represented him as a robot, as not-human. But I, that follow him from 2004, knew that those were only ungenerous descriptions. Sunday, suddenly, all the world has known better not the player, but the man. When he was injured, and he cryed for pain and anger, I fear the worst. Instead, all his comrades, they gave the 200%.
Rui Patricio seemed Buffon. Sanches seemed Davids.
Then entered Eder, the only center forward of the Portugal. Cristiano wasn’t in the playground, but returned in the bench, in fact he has done the vice coach…He was everywhere, he gave indications, he shouted.
And at the goal again the tears have wet his face…but they have had a different flavour, of happiness. And at the end of game, he was filled of joy and he has raised the cup.
This is Cristiano Ronaldo. Not only the man of statistics and records. But a man full of true passion, that he has never stop to give the maximum, that he have invited Borgonovo’s widow to the stadium for the match, that he have given a part of his profits to the poors, that he was able to win the Champions league with two different teams and comrades, that with the national he never surrender and that now he’s entered in the history, succeeding in those that players as Eusebio, Rui Costa, Figo, Deco weren’t able.
This means being champion. You say this to Messi.
