Yesterday, June 21, Russia and Portugal took place in Moscow as part of the 2017 Confederations Cup (the eighth football tournament among national teams held under the auspices of FIFA). Unfortunately, not our athletes won the victory, but absolutely everyone enjoyed the game.
Attention, it is worth noting, this evening was riveted not only to the ball on the field, but also to the captain of the Portuguese - the star of world football, who gave several reasons to discuss his person at once.
Dating a girl with a disability
Even before the start of the game, Cristiano Ronaldo made him talk about himself: the athlete went out onto the lawn, holding the hand of a 10-year-old girl in a wheelchair - Polina Khaeredinova, whom he gave his jacket and kissed.
I did not expect it to be so great, and Cristiano Ronaldo is wonderful! He gave me his jacket and kissed me for good luck. I found myself in the very center of incredible emotions, rooting for Russia! I have never experienced this!
— shared after Polina.
The appearance of athletes on the field with children is a long tradition. Before the start of any World Cup or major tournament, there are elections for children who lead world football stars by the hand. However, in the history of FIFA tournaments, for the first time, a football player entered the game with a child with disabilities.
This moment, undoubtedly, became one of the most memorable of the whole evening - the audience was touched by such a tender attitude of the football legend to the girl in wheelchair.
Goal against the Russian team
And although Ronaldo was expected in Moscow (you can't argue with the beautiful and professional game of a football player!) None of the Russian fans were delighted with the goal he scored against our team in the 8th minute.
We knew that we were going to have a difficult game against a good team and we were seriously preparing. I am very happy because Portugal won for the first time in Russia!
- shared during a press conference the captain of the Portuguese national team, who scored his 75th goal in the national team.
Man of the Match award from Fyodor Bondarchuk
Having scored the only goal in the Russia-Portugal match, Cristiano Ronaldo became best player meetings. The football player received the prestigious Man of the Match trophy from the hands of the director, actor and producer.
As a cinematographer, I know firsthand how valuable the Audience Award is, and I understand how much effort Cristiano Ronaldo had to give to receive the Man of the Match award. It's great that at the Confederations Cup FIFA is perfectly adjusted Feedback and that everyone has the opportunity to vote for their favorite player, thereby rewarding him for enjoying the match,
Bondarchuk said.
Photo Gettyimages.ru
Vladislav Voronin - about the Portuguese legend.
For the first time, Ronaldo tore open the Arena 45 minutes before the match - one close-up on the screen was enough. Cristiano just walked around the room under the stands in a training T-shirt, and the first rows were already out of smartphones - to shoot the great. And everyone was screaming.
Ronaldo ran out to the warm-up first among the Portuguese and immediately separated from the team. While the others were slowly passing, he carefully threw the ball into the empty net and casually greeted the stands. One with a quick wave of the hand, the other with a thumbs up.
Ronaldo's loneliness lasted about 5 minutes - until the physical training coach assembled the team for stretching. Cristiano was the last to run up, patted his partners encouragingly, and then with each of them he hit his fist in a fist. So no selfishness - it's just immediately clear who is in charge in the team.
For the match, Cristiano went hand in hand with a 10-year-old girl, Polina Haeredinova, who is confined to a wheelchair and lives in a foster family. She got to the stadium through the McDonald's program: he sponsors the Confederations Cup and the World Cup and can choose the children who take the players to the matches.
Polina has been collaborating with the Ronald McDonald Foundation for a long time: she voiced one of the commercials, and during the 2014 Olympics, together with Dmitry Chernyshenko and the president of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach opened a playground in Sochi, where special children can play on an equal basis with healthy ones.
“Polina was asked for a long time who she would like to bring to the field before the match - Akinfeev or Cristiano ?. - The youngest son, who plays football, said that we will see Akinfeev again, but it is not known whether we will meet Ronaldo again. Polina doubted, she said that she was rooting for our people, that she was a patriot ... And yet she chose Ronaldo.
Already on the field, Polina gave Cristiano a bracelet in the colors of the flag of Portugal, which she herself wove from beads the day before.
“Polina wanted to give Ronaldo a bracelet with the Russian flag, and keep the Portuguese flag for herself as a sign of friendship, support,” said her mother. “But before the match, she was dissuaded from this, explaining that the athletes may have their own rules, taking the opponent’s symbols is often a bad sign.”
Having received an unexpected gift, Ronaldo leaned over several times with thanks, stroked Polina on the head and even kissed her on the forehead.
“Before the match, Cristiano was not in a good mood,” continued Olga Naumova. - When he was told that he would go out on the field with a girl in a wheelchair, he didn’t exactly refuse, but he didn’t say: “Yes, of course.” He reacted to this a little cool, because before the game he was clearly in suspense. And when we almost changed, he saw Polina, who smiled at him. Cristiano immediately changed in his face - he blossomed, leaned towards her, said a few words, hugged her. On the field, Ronaldo was already completely relaxed and smiling.
The best moment came a little later. On the last lines of the Russian anthem, Ronaldo pulled off his training jacket and put Polina on her knees - like a gift. In order not to write the words “glad” and “happy”, we’d better show Polina’s real emotions from this story.
Publication from Khaeredinova Polina (@khaeredinova) Jun 21 2017 at 8:25 PDT
“I did not expect it to be so great, and Cristiano Ronaldo is wonderful! He gave me his jacket and kissed me for good luck. I found myself in the very center of incredible emotions, rooting for Russia. I have never experienced this,” said Polina.
Now she receives personal messages on Instagram with an offer to sell a sweater. Fans of Cristiano Ronaldo directly ask how much money is needed, but the family refuses: “In no case will we sell, we will leave it as a keepsake.”
“Polina does not walk, so there are few such interesting moments in our life,” says her mother. “The life of a child who cannot walk is limited, especially in Russia, so the opportunity to go to such an event is pure delight.”
On the night from Wednesday to Thursday, Polina went to bed with Cristiano's jacket.
Almost no one noticed this, but it was Ronaldo who built the attack from scratch, after which the winning goal was scored.
Rui Patricio was in no hurry to throw the ball in (this was preceded successful game at the exit), but it was Ronaldo who noticed the free zone on the right flank and with very energetic, sweeping hand movements demanded to urgently give the ball to him. Then he easily fooled Fedor Kudryashov with a graceful feint, threw the ball further, ran into the penalty area and scored.
This was his attack.
When it was announced around the stadium that Ronaldo scored the goal, the stadium did not decide what to do - whether to admire, or to be indignant. The result was a strange mixture of squealing with a whistle, and Ronaldo raised his hand up - as if showing that he did not want to offend anyone. He just has such a job - to destroy everyone around.
If you think Ronaldo is arrogant, narcissistic and selfish, then try to get to his match before he retires. You will immediately understand that in fact he is just a terribly wound up monster.
As much as he yells at Andre Silva, who could not read the plan and open up for a pass on the move (it looked like pure education), he is equally aware of responsibility when he himself does something wrong. He hit from a distance badly and too early - he apologized to everyone with a gesture. He didn’t close a cool serve - he hits himself on the thigh.
Narcissists do not react like that - they are looking for the guilty around. And Ronaldo knows he's wrong.
The tax scandal and the possible departure from Real Madrid have silenced Cristiano. He does not respond to journalists' questions at all - even at a press conference after being recognized as the best player of the match, he himself said everything he considered necessary and left.
In the sub-tribune room, Ronaldo reacted to only one phrase.
– Hala Madrid! the blonde girl screamed.
Cristiano slowed down. Then he smiled, repeated "Hala Madrid" and held out his palm towards - hit five.
The girl turned out to be a real volunteer of the Confederations Cup and introduced herself as Ulyana from Murmansk. To shout something to Ronaldo, she had to ask for leave from her superiors.
- I am very happy because I have been a fan of Real Madrid for a very long time, and Cristiano is one of my favorite players. It's great to see him up close and get a positive reaction, especially now when everyone is afraid that he might leave the club. The fact that he reacted in such a way gives hope that he will still stay. I specially tuned in to shout it, I was worried.
What will you do with your hand?
- It is desirable to laminate the hand, but it is unlikely to succeed. I will tell everyone, I think it will be one of the most vivid impressions in my life.
That's what they say about legends.
Photo: RIA Novosti / Grigory Sysoev, Alexander Wilf; /John Sibley; Global Look Press /Dmitry Golubovich/Global Look Press
The adoptive mother of Polina Khaeredinova said that the girl was asked for a long time who she would like to bring to the field - Igor Akinfeev or Cristiano Ronaldo. After much deliberation, she chose the Portuguese.
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“The youngest son, who plays football, said that we would still see Akinfeev, but whether we would meet Ronaldo again is unknown,” Sports.ru quotes Olga Naumova. “Polina doubted, she said that she was rooting for our people, that she was a patriot. I did choose Ronaldo.
The girl gave the athlete a bracelet in the colors of the flag of Portugal, which she wove herself. The touched football player stroked her head and even kissed her.
Publication from Khaeredinova Polina (@khaeredinova) Jun 21 2017 at 8:31 PDT
Upon learning that he would enter the field accompanied by a disabled child, Ronaldo reacted to this "a little coolly," Naumova said. She suggested that the tension before the game was the reason for this reaction.
“And when we almost changed, he saw Polina, who smiled at him. Cristiano immediately changed in his face - he blossomed, leaned over to her, said a few words, hugged her,” said Khaerinova’s mother. "On the field, Ronaldo has already completely relaxed," she added.
On the last lines of the Russian anthem, the Portuguese took off his training jacket and put it on Polina's lap as a gift. Of course, she was happy.
Publication from Khaeredinova Polina (@khaeredinova) Jun 21 2017 at 8:25 PDT
Compatriots were touched by this story. "Kind people are always strong. And vice versa. A training shirt will always remind you of a meeting with the same kind and strong man like you", "Very inspiring story! Happiness to all of you!”, “Very cool! Well done! Such a positive - I even recharged! I'm happy for you! Live this moment more often, and you will have more such positive experiences in the future! ”- Internet users commented on Polina’s photos from the match.