New book reveals Cristiano Ronaldo fought armed gangsters at 15

Ronaldo fought gang members

A new biography by Luis Pereira and Juan Ignacio Gallardo called Secrets of the Machine tells the story of the 2014 Ballon D’Or winner in great detail.

The book traces Ronaldo’s roots from his rough childhood in Madeira to his current superstar status at Real Madrid. The book claims that when Ronaldo was 15 he fought with armed gang members in Portugal.

The book reveals: “In January 2001, Ronaldo and three friends from the Sporting U18 team ventured out to Lisbon city centre (all aged 15), and were approached by a gang of muggers armed with knives on the Lisbon metro. 2 of the boys fled, so the tale goes, while Ronaldo and one other boy, Jose Semedo, stayed to stand their ground.”

The book explains that although no weapons were used, the gang did fight with Ronaldo and his friend, and rough them up leaving them with bruises and scrapes.

Pereira and Gallardo trace his path to greatness in great detail and use the example to show Ronaldo’s bravery which is evident in the way he plays.