Luis Figo played a huge role in Cristiano Ronaldo's development says former Portugese boss Luiz Felipe Scolari
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest ever footballers and former Portuguese coach Luiz Felipe Scolari believes Luis Figo deserves some credit for Ronaldo’s phenomenal success. Scolari oversaw Ronaldo's initial years in international football when he was Portugal’s manager from 2002-2008 and the former Chelsea manager has spoken about the importance of Figo in Ronaldo’s career.
“Of all the players I coached while at Portugal, there was one that was especially important for Cristiano Ronaldo, that was Luis Figo,” he told Omnisport.
“When Ronaldo started with the national team, the first one to help him was Figo. He was the first player to challenge Ronaldo to dribble and shoot, to score goals, to play his own game, to keep working all the time and become a better footballer.
“Figo took a position, saying "My son, try again, keep trying. If you see the situation is difficult, I will give you a hand, and if you make a mistake I have everything ready, so calm down, but you have to try".
Cristiano Ronaldo absolutely idolised Luis Figo while growing up and these words of assurance from the legendary Figo would have gone a long way in building the three-time Ballon d’Or's confidence.
Cristiano Ronaldo's market value is 4 times that of Hungary’s 23-man squad
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest footballers ever and he has always been one of the most valuable players (market value) in the world. The 2016 Euros will be a grand spectacle featuring some of the biggest stars in world football like Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski.
Hungary’s biggest football stars currently will also be taking part in the Euros for the first time since 1972, but in terms of market value, they are in a different universe. According to an analysis by Dutch bank ING Groep NV, Hungary’s 23-man squad would cost a combined $31 million in transfer fees, while Cristiano Ronaldo alone would cost a truly amazing $116 million, close to 4 times more than the entire 23-man Hungary squad.
This edition of the Euros will feature the most teams ever with the number of entrants being expanded to 24 from 16 giving some smaller nations like Wales, Northen Ireland and Hungary to shine on the big stage. Although Ronaldo is the most valuable player in the Euros, his Portugal team are not fancied to win the tournament.