John A. Torres - Cristiano Ronaldo: Champion Soccer Star

Published in 2018 by Enslow Publishing, LLC.

101 W. 23rd Street, Suite 240, New York, NY 10011

Copyright 2018 by Enslow Publishing, LLC.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced by any means

without the written permission of the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Torres, John Albert, author.

Title: Cristiano Ronaldo : champion soccer star / John Torres.

Description: New York, NY : Enslow Publishing, 2018. | Series: Sports Star Champions | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Audience: Grade 6-8.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017003132| ISBN 9780766086883 (library-bound) | ISBN 9780766087552 (pbk.) | ISBN 9780766087569 (6-pack)

Subjects: LCSH: Ronaldo, Cristiano, 1985- Juvenile literature. | Soccer playersPortugalBiographyJuvenile literature.

Classification: LCC GV942.7.R626 T66 2018 | DDC 796.334092 [B] dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017003132

Printed in the United States of America

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Photo Credits: Cover, p. 1 fotopress/Getty Images; pp. Ian Gavan/Getty Images.

Introduction:

Champion Teammate

What is it that makes a champion? Is it hard work, determination, natural talent, intelligence, or sheer will? Its probably a combination of all of those things. It is also how someone reacts to adversitywhat he or she does when things dont go right. That could not be truer than in the case of legendary soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, arguably the best player in the world.

The tackle came in hard and fast. Ronaldo crumbled to the ground. He knew something was wrong right away. It was his knee. It was very early in the 2016 Euro league championship match. Ronaldo had led his countrys national team, Portugal, to improbable victories in the early rounds. Now here were Ronaldo and his teammates on the verge of pulling off a major soccer upset. Only the mighty national team from France stood in their way.

Play was stopped as the great Ronaldo had to be helped to the sidelines. The trainers wrapped his knee after he insisted that he wanted to continue playing through the knee injury. But it soon became clear that this important match would have to be decided without him. Twice during the first half of the match, Ronaldo fell to the ground in agony. He clutched his knee and cried tears of anguish.

Not only was he in excruciating pain but he did not want to let his teammates down. As he left the field of play for the third and final time, Ronaldo felt as if his championship hopes had been crushed. It was the most important match of his career, and he would not be able to play for the second half.

His teammates were unsure of what to expect. No one believed they would be able to beat France without their best player leading the way. But then something happened. Ronaldo knew that he would still be able to help his teammates. If he couldnt score goals maybe there was something else he could do.

Cristiano Ronaldo grimaces in pain after injuring his knee during the 2016 Euro league championship match.

He left the trainers room and joined his team in the locker room at halftime. He implored them not to give up and to keep challenging for every loose ball. He told them they had the talent and the tenacity to beat France.

After inspiring his teammates to victory, Ronaldo proudly hoists the European championship trophy.

Cristiano had fantastic words for us, said teammate Cdric Soares. He gave us a lot of confidence and said listen people, Im sure we will win, so stay together and fight for it. he was fantastic. His attitude was unbelievable. He always had a lot of motivational words and all the team of course reacted to them, so it was very good.

That wasnt all. Ronaldo limped up and down the sideline for the entire second half of the championship game encouraging his team to keep fighting and playing hard. He was like a second coach for the team.

When it was over, Portugal had accomplished the improbable. No one thought they could beat France, especially without Cristiano Ronaldo. His teammates praised him and credited him with the victory. Seconds after the referee blew the final whistle, Ronaldo was mobbed by his teammates as he raised the championship trophy. He cried once more, but this time they were tears of joy.

From Crybaby to Little Bee

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was the fourth and youngest child born to Maria Dolores dos Santos, a cook, and her husband, Jos Dinis Aveiro, a gardener. He came into the world on February 5, 1985, on an island off the coast of the European country of Portugal.

The Portuguese island of Madeira, off the west coast of the country, is a popular vacation area with lush and gorgeous flowers and beautiful beaches. The island has wealthy residents who live in large mansions.

But there are poor neighborhoods, too, and Ronaldo grew up in the very poor mountain neighborhood of San Antonio. The familys home had a tin roof, but it had a view of the ocean. Cristiano would sometimes sit and admire the beauty.

Life was hard for the family but grew even tougher as Dinis, Cristianos father, battled the disease of alcoholism. His drinking grew worse and worse, and he had a difficult time keeping a job. He bounced from one position to another. Cristianos mother often worked a second job cleaning houses to be able to afford food for her children.

Because he was so often out of work, Cristianos father spent a lot of time volunteering. Then he worked part-time as the equipment manager for a local professional soccer club, Andorinha. In Europe, many towns have their own soccer club where there are different levels of playfrom young children to grown men getting paid to play.

Cristiano Ronaldo grew up on the Portuguese island of Madeira.

UP CLOSE

Cristiano Ronaldo was named after US president Ronald Reagan, who had been a Hollywood movie star before going into politics.

While he was there, Dinis became friends with former soccer star Fernao Barros Sousa, who was now playing out the end of his career at Andorinha. He asked Sousa to become Cristianos godfather. This was beyond symbolic. Dinis wanted to make sure his son would have a strong guiding force in his life in case anything were to happen to him. But it also meant that Sousa would take a very active role in young Cristianos life, almost as if he were a second father.

That connection helped cultivate one of the best soccer stars of all times, as Cristiano would almost always accompany his father to the soccer fields while he worked. He watched the men play and dreamed of one day being out there.