How Cristiano Ronaldo was at Manchester United to the superstar

Anyone who participated in a guided tour through Old Trafford until 2018 was also allowed to sit in the amazingly poemless home cabin. For the makers of a glossy documentary, it would have been very tight here, but Sir Alex Ferguson had not thought when he had once set them up. He believed that the cabin was a place of work on which no one has to feel comfortable first.

And that's exactly where an 18-year-old appeared in 2003 and told pretty much everyone that he is the best, Zwinton Fortune, Manchester-United-Profi from 1999 to 2006, recalled later in the Guardian : Not in perfect English But you could open it. He came with that way a lot of confidence - it was unbelievable.

It means that only this Rotzfreche guy, Cristiano Ronaldo his name, had his place securely, if Ferguson regularly changed the seating system in the locker room : Here, says the stadium leader and remains grinning in front of the mirror.

Ronaldo already knew in 2003: Who sets me, wins

Meanwhile, the cabin is also more luxury oasis as a dressing room in Old Trafford, though Ferguson, who is 80 years old in December, has still been steady in the background since his farewell 2013. Especially he has just lured to United to United for the second time. The coach icon was the key when changing, says one who would have to know: Ronaldo himself.

And so that was actually in 2003. The legend states that the United professionals Ferguson had battle over the clouds, Ronaldo immediately commit what was prompt five days later. To old was the sporting youngster just had the poor John O'Shea at United's 1: 3-Testspieliedlage in Lisbon.

But even though England's record champion has made some neck-over-head transfer in recent decades: so legendary was probably not too, at least Ferguson had to convince more on that return flight.

The clothes continue, the poor narrower: This was how new entry Cristiano Ronaldo (Li. With Kleberson) presented in 2003 at Manchester United. Picture Alliance / Imago Images

United was interested in me before the game, Ronaldo 2019 at Dazn told his version of these legendary high-sausmer days, the game was like the cherry on the pie. After that, every club knew, if he sets me, he wins. After the final whistle on that August 7, 2003, Ferguson had asked him in the cabin and said, Listen, I want you immediately. Transfer for around 19 million euros, then recording for a U-21 player in England, she finally began: the Golden era of the CR7! Well, well, that's how similar.

It would never have given you a hair, at least not under this name. When Ferguson asked him after his wish-back number, I said '28', Ronaldo said, so humbly he was after all. But he said, 'No, you get the 7' , like Best, Cantona or Beckham. That was an extra motivation.

Now you can not imagine that there was a piercrylant, muscle-packed teenschwarm with a washboard bush and aberillion followers in England 18 years ago, which could not stop shooting goals. The then teammates are more reminiscent of terrible clothes (Eddie Johnson) and a drought, seaning, not very strong phenomenon (Gary Neville). In one of one of his first English TV interviews, the question of whether he was confident was not understood, but that was already a broad leg to the free kick and over again and again at the United Routinians.

In short, what Neville said at that TV interview at Ronaldo's place, probably thought pretty much everyone in the squad: Yes, he is very self-confident! Even Ferguson called the young Ronaldo sometimes a little tomb, who absolutely wanted to convince everyone, how well he was . They did not always know God easily with him.

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Even then, Ronaldo did not want to go the next step, as everyone says today, he wanted to be the best from the beginning; He was obsessed. When he received his first balloon d'Or, he explained to have dreamed as a child . But until then, he first had to find himself as a footballer to use his spectacular talents meaningful, on the place and in his head.

Although in his first season, Ronaldo Manunited shot in the Fa Cup final 2004 against Millwall to the title, the transformation of the personalized overstood to the World Class player, but only two, three years later took place - when he had no desire for Manchester. Just as he met the less beautiful sides of the football business, he began dominating it.

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At the beginning of 2006 he flew in the Derby at Manchester City after a frustrated frustration grate towards Andy Cole with red from the square, no month later he showed the middle finger at the Champions League from the provocative Benfica fans. And when he successfully at the World Cup in Germany in the quarterfinals against England demanded the dismissal against his United team-mate Wayne Rooney, the chapter United seemed dishonorable to end. I should go away from Manchester, Maybe Süsbock Ronaldo, then only 21 years young, on the edge of the game around 3rd place 3. No one has put behind me.

Instead, he came back after the tournament as transformed. It was absolutely incredible, Gary Neville remembered Sky Sports . From the drought teenager, suddenly a kind of boxer in the super middle weight had become. Not only His body had changed completely, says Neville, he was matured, physical, mental .

In the fall of 2007, Ronaldo experiences the most valuable Rotsperre of his career

At the end of the season, Ronaldo, though and again, had for the first time more than 20 competitive gates (23) - in the 30th use also his first two in the Champions League - and was master for the first time; for the first time voted it both players and journalists to England's Player of the Year and the Ballon d'Or was only one, Kaka, before him.

But because for Ronaldo a only is more still , he set off right now. And there René Meulensteen came into play.

Like son and father - even today: Cristiano Ronaldo with Sir Alex Ferguson. Getty Images

Ronaldo was rotgesperrt at the beginning of the 2007/08 season, Ferguson's assistant made it the most valuable forced break in his career. The Dutcher, today 57, has repeatedly told in English media: How he prophesically prophesied Ronaldo more than 40 seasonal desires when this is at most 35 trusted; How he taught him that it does not get on the beauty of a gate, but on the gate; How he worked with him Penibel at run and degrees of all kinds and at his too arrogant body language.

At the moment you play to show: 'Look how good I am' 'had, he said Ronaldo. You want to shoot the perfect goal every time. You have to learn to play football as Björn Borg or Roger Federer play tennis: freezing cold. And Ronaldo learned. He was not a vessel that had to be filled. Rather, it was about to get order filled in its bulging content.

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From now on, Ronaldo was no longer the wild dribbler on the outer railway, which other sought with flanks, but always occupied the center and also increasingly used his header.

After 42 goals in 48 competitive games, as a 23-year-old midfielder minded, he won in 2008 England's goalkeeper crown and Europe's Golden Shoe , the Champions League and the balloon d'Or. Well, he was not freezing cold enough to turn in the penalty shootout of Moscow and soaken after the happy turning the lawn nicht with Rotz and water. But nobody had asked him to become another person.

Another man had FIFA President agreed Sepp Blatter perhaps in summer 2008, a year after signing a new five-year contract, not so insistently pushed for a move to Real Madrid and the former, who had spoken of modern slavery because United Ronaldo not let them go. Later, Blatter felt misunderstood; And Ferguson, whom the royal excavators had especially annoyed ( I would not even sell them a virus ), convinced his slaves to stay one year.

Once again, it showed that this emotional young man is capable of spectacular directional changes not only on the grass. And that Ronaldo was not conceivable at United without Ferguson and is. Sir Alex raised him, says ex-players Fortune. And together, oh my God: These two could master the world. It was the perfect combination.

Unforgust still, as Ferguson waited for the 2016 EM final 2016 on the tribune railing until he finally had his Cristiano in his arms. While other UNITED legends are scattered with Ferguson sometime, Ronaldo also calls him his father in football at 36 years.

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Finally, when CR7 2009 after 118 hits in 292 games for the former world record amount changed from 94 million euros to Madrid, he has long since been a world brand with first boutiques and lucrative advertising contracts. Manunited and he had found perfect partners at the beginning of the digital age and had become rich together.

Cristiano Ronaldo has the players who run employees, the whole club in a new dimension, said Ferguson's right hand Mike Phelan 2018. He was an inspiration. And even if he wanted to work out every few years: that was Manchester United certainly for him.