5 managers who successfully stopped Cristiano Ronaldo

#2 Otto Rehhagel

Euro 2004: Portugal v Greece — Otto Rehhagel's ultra-defensive tactics allowed Greece to keep Ronaldo quiet and win Euro 2004

Alright, so back in 2004 Ronaldo wasn’t quite the all-conquering force of nature that he’s become today, but there’s no denying that by the time Euro 2004 rolled around, he was swiftly becoming Portugal’s key attacking talent – thoroughly outshining the fading duo of Luis Figo and Manuel Rui Costa in that tournament.

Despite helping Portugal to the final though, one manager found a way to keep him quiet – German veteran Otto Rehhagel, who was managing the eventual champions – underdogs Greece. The craziest part of it all? Somehow he managed to do it twice in the same tournament.

The first meeting between Portugal – the hosts of the tournament – and Greece came in the opening match. Most observers were expecting Portugal to simply whitewash the unheralded Greeks, but that wasn’t the case at all – Rehhegal’s well-drilled unit simply defended deeply and in numbers and despite giving up 63% possession and allowing 19 shots on goal, they ran out 2-1 winners.

In that game, Ronaldo was a substitute, and was brought on at half-time with Portugal 1-0 down in an attempt to change the game around. Instead – like most of Portugal’s other attacking talents – he was kept relatively quiet and even conceded a penalty to allow Greece a 2-0 lead. While he did score a consolation goal in the 93rd minute, it was too little, too late.

Following the upset, Ronaldo would go on to have an excellent tournament, scoring in the semi-final and being named amongst the best 23 players of the competition. But in the final – a rematch with the Greeks – he was again shut out by the dogged, deep defending of Rehhegal’s side. Not that he didn’t have any chances – in the 75th minute he skied a shot from just 8 yards, and Portugal went on to lose the game 1-0 in one of football’s great upsets.

Over the course of two games, Rehhegal proved that ultra-defensive tactics could be enough to stop one of Europe’s most promising young talents.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Arvind Sriram