Cristiano Ronaldo gets a bad rep because he likes scoring a lot of goals.
Yes, he wants to be the hero and, yes, he wants to be better than everyone else but he’s not a soulless psychopath.
He still also wants his team and his country to win and he recognises that it’s not possible – well, not entirely possible… sometimes – for that to happen without the rest of the team.
He might even not be completely selfish.
So when footage from AS TV emerged of Cristiano Ronaldo not only being part of the team talk during the 2016 Champions League final, but actually leading it, everyone got a little excited.
Inspiring.
Sparta-esque.
Jesus, we’ve even called it motivating.
It’s grand, like. But it’s just a few words to say ‘focus’. Of course, because the images show Ronaldo standing up before the players and everyone shutting up to listen to him, it’s all a little bit more powerful.
“Listen, I wanna say something: we’re 45 minutes away from making history,” he says.
“Tiredness is psychological at times. We have to do another 45 at our best. We can do it because we are good.
“It’s all mental. We’re 45 away from making history. Let’s defend like we have defended in the first half.
“Let’s go! Let’s go!”
Not exactly Any Given Sunday stuff but here it is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX_gOG8NQO4
It’s easy to get carried away when you see a superstar who’s only supposed to be in it for himself actually looking out for everyone else and geeing them up.
But just how much did we all get carried away with this “hair-raising” speech? Let’s look at what actually happened.
1. Not interested.
2. Not interested.
3. Not interested.
4. Okay, everybody shut up, I want to talk.
5. I will speak to you five only… and whoever the hell that is in the shirt and trousers in the middle.
6. Can you see enough of my thighs?
7. Defence, please don’t fuck this up for me.
8. Now, someone get me a pair of bloody boots.
9. This is what is going to happen after.
You can catch up on the latest episode of JOE’s Football Friday Live right here…
