The Portugal Saga Begins

Portugal may be out of the tournament, but the story is just beginning for the team.

They crashed out of the tournament even after a spirited display, after a 3-2 loss against Germany - the same team that beat them at World Cup 2006 to claim 3rd place in that tournament. But this is just the key that has opened the door to a summer of possibilities for the players, and even the manager of the Portugal national side.

It is no secret that coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has agreed to join Russian billionaire Roman Abramavich's Chelsea set up in the English Premier League. The Brazilian coach consented to join the Stamford Bridge club two weeks ago, and has since been the subject of much speculation regarding who, from the Portugal team, he may take with him to his new job in London. Scolari has been promised a £100 million transfer budget, and he is said to be targeting the best players in the world to make Chelsea the best club. On his wish-list are players like Kaka, Ronaldinho, Franck Ribery, Deco, and even Manchester United target Karim Benzema.

Who knows what the future of Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack would be? It was his Germany team that knocked out the Portuguese from the tournament, with Ballack himself scoring one of the 3 goals in the match. Would Scolari take revenge and sell him off? Would he, out of spite, simply leave the German on the bench without ever giving him first-team football? Or would he take the professional route and not take it personally? The possibilities are endless, as is the speculation - some in Portugal do believe that Scolari is the type to hold a grudge. But for a concrete answer we'll just have to wait and see.

The Ronaldo Affair

And how can we forget about the golden boy of the tournament, Cristiano Ronaldo? He has had some decent matches, but nowhere near to what was expected of him, after a blistering season with Manchester United which saw him score 31 goals just in the league. With expectations high, and Real Madrid watching from afar, it was speculated that his performances might not be up-to par, and that's exactly what happened.

However, the end of Euro 2008 for Portugal has meant that the 'Ronaldo saga' will begin a few weeks early. It is public knowledge that Real Madrid want to sign Manchester United's prized possession, and that they are willing to spend as much as £70m. United boss Alex Ferguson has steadfastly refused all the bids so far, and has made it clear that Ronaldo is not for sale. But what does Ronaldo say himself? He has been quoted as stating a desire to play in Real Madrid, and that he would make his decision at the end of Euro 2008. He wasted no time in doing so: within hours of elimination, he'd reawakened speculation by stating that he hoped that an agreement would take place within days!

Still, that won't be the end of it. Real Madrid were in the eyes of some lucky to avoid punishment from FIFA, following allegations from the Manchester club, that Ronaldo had been 'illegally tapped up.' World football governing body FIFA, stated that they had not found any evidence of such, and that the investigation was pending evidence of actual misconduct on the part of the Madrid club. If they continue with this course of action, a further investigation may be looming somewhere in the horizon, but for now Ronaldo's doing a good enough job of stoking the fires himself.

Alex Ferguson is known for reacting with extreme prejudice towards with the players he falls out with, the latest and most memorable factor being the incident with midfielder David Beckham, when the Scotsman threw a boot at the England international, injuring him badly enough to be taken to a doctor to have the bleeding gash closed up.

United have done business with Real Madrid in the past, and there have been no real issues in those past transactions. The most recent being David Beckham, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, and Argentine Gabriel Heinze. But Ronaldo's case may be different. In all those cases, Ferguson actually had a problem with the player, and the moves marked an end to dressing room tension, and bad morale inside the team, but is this the fact in Ronaldo's case? -- It could well be, if the Portugal man doesn't pledge his future to the Manchester club, or make it clear that Old Trafford is his only haven.

Worth It?

Ronaldo said late Thursday there is a "great" possibility that he is moving to Real and would have more news on his future in the coming days. But Manchester United responded by issuing a statement Friday – described on its Web site as a "defiant message" – stressing that its prized asset won't be sold. It was an additional setback for Ronaldo, who also said he requires surgery on his right foot.

"Further to Friday's press speculation about where Cristiano Ronaldo's future lies, the club has moved to reiterate its stance on the matter: United are not listening to offers," United said.

Ronaldo was bought for a £12.25m fee in 2003 from Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon, the same club his United teammates Nani and Anderson hail from. If a transfer is on the cards, it would see Manchester United make a profit in the region of 50m pounds after compensating for the sponsorship deals, and player endorsements. Now that sounds like a profitable piece of business.

But is Ronaldo worth the £70m being offered by Real? Well, the goals to games ratio seems to be a great indicator of that. The Portuguese winger scored 31 goals in 34 appearances for the Red Devils in the 2007/2008 Barclays Premier League season, and was voted as the best player in the world. The 23-year-old scored 42 goals in total, in all competitions, helping the Red Devils win the English and European titles. His assist record is quite fantastic as well, with most of United's 80 goals being created or manufactured by him. But £70m is such a steep price to pay on one player, and if expectations go to his head, Ronaldo could end up like players such as Andrei Shevchenko (AC Milan to Chelsea FC, £30m), and Theirry Henry (Arsenal to Barcelona FC, £16m), who had made big money moves away from the clubs they had been successful for, and subsequently becoming world-renowned flops at their new clubs. But only time will tell if such fears are actually warranted.

Not Alone

Other players from the Portugal side who are making news is of course Jose Bosingwa, who has already completed a £16.2m move to Scolari's new side Chelsea; midfielder Joao Moutinho, who is set to choose between Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United; winger Ricardo Quaresma, who is being tipped to a big money move to Real Madrid as he seeks to escape Porto; and finally Deco, who has a choice between a return to Portugal, a move to Chelsea, or an unlikel, but rumoured transfer to Newcastle United.

Whatever the future holds, the speculation, and the anticipation surrounding these players is extraordinary. The summer is only beginning for Portugal, and the fans shouldn't be too disheartened considering their side will receive a hefty amount of exposure in the coming month. Whether it's the type that they want, though, is another matter entirely.


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