Robaird O’Cearbhaill
Hong Kong Correspondent
Who really is Cristiano Ronaldo?
He declared firmly in a Daily Mirror interview his poor but happy childhood, rich in family and community.
“I was brought up with nothing, we were very poor. I had no toys and no Christmas presents. I shared a room with my brother and two sisters and my parents slept in the other.
“It was a small space. But I didn’t mind. I’m incredibly close with my brother and sisters and we loved being together. For us it was normal, it was all we knew. Everyone around us lived the same way and we were happy.”
“Although I was raised in poverty, he’s (his first son) going to be raised very rich. But I am not posh, so my son is not going to be posh. I don’t want him to go to a posh school. I want him to mix with normal people.”
Cristiano Ronaldo’s view of himself as a person is from his famous quote. “Many people look at me and think they know me but they don’t at all. This is the real me. I am a humble person, a feeling person. A person who cares about others, who wants to help others.”
As happens often enough with celebrities, envy replaces admiration. But Cristiano Ronaldo claims he talks honestly, whether it is about his extraordinary skills, or his life.
One of his much used quotes is: “Why lie? I’m not going to be a hypocrite and say the opposite of what I think, like some others do.”
Some reporters describe him as arrogant when he says what an extraordinarily talented footballer he is, but he is truthfully stating facts.
Cristiano Ronaldo is proud of his hard earned successful dream come true. The maestro has won the top leagues championships in Europe over and over again, has been highly successful in three countries, and has made more international goals than any other footballer.
However, Cristiano Ronaldo is clear where his success came from: hard work using a gift from God. Also in the same interview, he said, “I always had a gift. I was shown the skills and I am a fantastic footballer but I do believe God gave me the gift.” Likewise he likes crucifixes because it reminds him of his relationship with God. “I am religious, in my own way.” His charitable generosity: all HK$10.5 million bonuses from his 2014 and 2016 champions leagues went to charity. In 2020, HK$9.4 million went to Portuguese institutions. HE gave a similar donation in 2017 for schools in Gaza, by auctioning one of his Ballon d’Ors (he won four) and another raised £600,000 for the Make-A-Wish foundation, which helps seriously ill children.
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