Cristiano Ronaldo is currently reaching the peak of his career in football. But who would have thought that this man who was born on February 5, 1985, previously came from a poor family? More than that, Ronaldo has many dark stories before he can become what he is today.
If Lionel Messi suffered from a hormone deficiency before becoming the world’s best footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo was between life and death from heart disease. At the age of 15, Ronaldo had to face heart surgery that could end his career as a footballer and even end his life.
Ronaldo’s mother, Maria Dolores, realized something was wrong with her child when she heard her son’s heart beat faster than usual. Even though at that time Ronaldo did not do strenuous activities that made his heart beat faster. Only after being examined, Ronaldo was convicted of heart disease.
“His heart was beating very fast even though he was not running,” Dolores said in 2009 as quoted by the Daily Mail. “This disease was discovered after examination using a laser. At that time I was worried because there was a possibility that he would lose the opportunity to play football again. “
Heart disease in athletes often ends tragically. Call it what happened to Marc-Vivien Foe or Antonio Puerta who died on the green field. Lilian Thuram also quickly retired when she realized something was wrong with her heart. Ronaldo is also in a situation that is not much different.
Even so, Ronaldo did not consider his illness to be something dangerous for his career and life. All he wants to know is that he has to get back to health in order to continue his career as a footballer. Since childhood, Ronaldo fell in love with football.
“Cristiano is not that worried about his illness. He did not want to think that his illness was a serious illness. In fact, I was really scared, ”said Dolores.
Luckily, Ronaldo’s heart surgery went well. Through intensive care Ronaldo immediately recovered. Even a few days after the operation he insisted on returning to training and resuming his life as a Sporting Lisbon academy player.
At that time, Ronaldo had indeed given his life to football. At the age of 14 he was expelled from school because he threw a chair at his teacher. “I was well known at school, but I didn’t really know many friends. I am not interested in school, “Ronaldo once admitted to the Mirror in 2011.” I was expelled after throwing a chair at my teacher. He doesn’t respect me. “
Little Ronaldo is quite temperamental. He often gets bullied from his friends at school or in his team, both in Andorinha and Nacional and Sporting Lisbon, because of his Madeira accent. Ronaldo’s hometown does have a different accent from other regions in Portugal.
In his autobiography Ronaldo: Obsession for Perfection, Ronaldo is said to often cry during training. Not only when he lost, but also when he got ridicule from his friends. He always asked the coach to call his mother to pick him up right away.
But Ronaldo is someone who grows up fast. Especially when it comes to football, he is very professional and takes his career seriously. He dedicates his time to practice and practice. The result of his hard training was when he was recruited by Manchester United in 2003. His move to England did not make him satisfied, it made him even more serious in training so that he could be the best.
“It was the first time I got on a plane. But that moment was also the moment where I realized that I was born for football, “said Ronaldo. “Before I was 21 years old and I was at Manchester United, I started to believe that I was the best.”
Ronaldo’s seriousness in carrying out his career is reflected in his behavior off the pitch which is far from problematic. Even though he is already wallowing in wealth, he is not interested in becoming an average footballer who lives a glamorous life. The captain of the Portuguese national team doesn’t even like alcohol and tattoos.
“A lot of men like to go to discotheques. They love to make love to a lot of models, they love to party, they love to attract girls with champagne. But I better train properly. That’s why young English players are so bad, unlike in Spain. In Spain young players are very professional, their young players are better (than England), “said Ronaldo.
Ronaldo himself is quite often involved in various social actions. He funded the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Aceh, which was hit by the tsunami in 2004 after the story of Martunis who survived wearing uniform no. 7 (Correction: no. 10) Portugal national team. He also donated 100 thousand pounds for the hospital that saved her mother from cancer. In 2011, he sold his Golden Shoe for 1.5 million euros which was later donated for the construction of a school in Gaza, Palestine. There are many more social actions carried out by Ronaldo, especially those related to child welfare. Apart from that, one of the reasons he doesn’t wear a tattoo is so he can donate blood, which he does several times a year.
“I earn 400 thousand pounds per week and I can’t finish it all. Everything multiplies. But money doesn’t change me, I’m still the same person, “said Ronaldo.
Ronaldo is also known as a figure who is very close to family. Each family bought a house for 400 thousand pounds. They are always present at every Ronaldo match. He is indeed willing to work for those closest to him, especially the former Manchester United player is actually a loner.
“In football I don’t have many friends. People I trust? Not much. Most of my time is spent alone. I myself consider myself as a person who likes to be alone, “Ronaldo said in his autobiographical film.
“I have my own circle of friends. These are the people I have been with for a long time. They are the people I am looking for. I’m willing to pay for them a five-star hotel, rent a plane for them, pay for the bar. I drank Red Bull while they drank champagne for a thousand pounds per bottle. It doesn’t matter to me, I’m happy if my friends are happy, ”Ronaldo said in an interview with the Mirror.
With the various dark times he has gone through, maybe Ronaldo will become a more mature person. This can be seen with a few problems that come to him as well as his career that continues to get more and more shiny. His personality that is quite sensitive to social situations has made Ronaldo amazed many people through his actions both on and off the field.
ASL
