FORMER Chelsea boss Phil Scolari has spoken of the bond he created with Cristiano Ronaldo after his father died.
Ronaldo, 37, lost his father in September 2005 and his then Portugal manager Scolari was the man who informed him of the sad news.
Scolari took on the responsibility and describes their relationship going to a new level afterwards – revealing it sparked a connection between Ronaldo and himself.
He told the Daily Mail: “It was very hard. It was the moment that created a bond between us, a bond that surpasses the coach-athlete relationship.
“When the news got to us, before a game against Russia, nobody knew how to tell him and nobody wanted to.
“So I told them I would do it as I knew how it was to lose a parent. I had lost mine a few years before.
“It was very sad, but it’s the kind of moment that connects us as friends.
“The next day, Cristiano played a marvellous game and returned to Portugal. He asked to play. He said: ‘I can’t do anything for my father today, so I’ll play tomorrow and then I’ll go.’”
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But Ronaldo also has a special bond with another figure in football – Sir Alex Ferguson.
He said of his former Manchester United boss: “I feel like this guy is unbelievable. He the father of football for me.”
Ronaldo recently revealed Fergie gave him time off to visit his father when he was sick in hospital, despite the fact it meant he missed key games in the season.
CR7 appreciated the gesture greatly, describing it as a beautiful story, and it helps to explain their father-son relationship.
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