Cristiano Ronaldo is captain for Al-Nassr and Portugal and the all-time great has explained his leadership style – which can include barking orders.
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Fills armband for club & countryLooks to lead by examplePrepared to speak his mindWHAT HAPPENED?
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner prefers to inspire those around him with actions, rather than words, but he is not opposed to handing out “discipline” lessons when required. His vast experience makes him the ideal choice to wear an armband with club and country, with the 39-year-old one of the very best to have played the game.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT RONALDO SAID
Speaking to UEFA’s , Ronaldo has said when asked about his approach to captaincy: “Every professional player has their own style. I think that leadership is based on who we are, how we feel, and what we've learnt during our journey as professionals. I try to lead in a way that I think is productive. I want to be a player who helps others, someone they can look up to, see as a role model, and be a good professional. I like to do things by example, as I usually say. I'm not one to talk much but instead I like to show them who I am. And, when push comes to shove, when things aren't right, you have to know when to discipline them and when to support them. But when things are good, you have to be with them and work together. Leadership style is very personal, but, within this team, we have a lot of leaders in their own way, and that's one of the reasons I think that we're a great national team.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Ronaldo is about to lead Portugal into Euro 2024 – his 11th major international tournament – and sees no reason why he cannot skipper his nation to another continental crown. CR7 added on that ambition: “I firmly believe that this team will bring a lot of joy to the Portuguese fans, beginning with this EURO. However, in my opinion, the best generation of players are always those who win [trophies]. I hope this national team will win because it's an incredibly talented squad. As we all know, though, talent alone is not enough to win. There are many things that go into winning a major tournament like this one. We have all the ingredients to win it, but we'll take it one step at a time, game by game, all the while believing that we can win it. What we achieved in 2016 was historic, both in Portuguese football and world football. Now we have our feet firmly on the ground but our mind up in the sky to look up and see that it is possible to win the EURO.”
GettyWHAT NEXT?
Ronaldo has taken in 206 appearances for his country and scored 128 goals, with both of those hauls seeing the history books rewritten. He has maintained remarkable individual standards in Saudi Arabia and has offered no indication that thoughts of retirement will be crossing his mind any time soon.