Football has a real knack of producing the unexpected. If ten years ago you'd have said to Cristiano Ronaldo that his enemy, the very man who crushed his dreams, would today be his coach, he wouldn't have believed you for a second. Nevertheless, the French national team represents every bit the nightmare for the Portuguese side that Zizou once did for CR7.
It was Munich, June 2006 and Ronaldo and Zidane's sides went head-to-head in the battle for a spot in the World Cup final. Never before had Portugal been so close to reaching the final, but France represented a formidable opponent, and one that the Portuguese feared en masse. A Zidane goal that day put paid to Portuguese dreams. Some six years earlier 'Les Bleus' had denied Portugal a European Championship final spot thanks to a golden goal in extra-time after the 90 minutes of action had ended in a 1-1 stalemate. The French goalscorer that day was none other than Zinedine Zidane, who stepped up to slam home a penalty after Abel Xavier had handled the ball.
Now, aged 31, Ronaldo is all too aware of the fact that this summer's Euros in France represent the last chance saloon for him to win honours with Portugal. His side have been drawn in Group F, where they will pit their wits against Iceland, Austria and Hungary. Whilst Ronaldo and co. should not have too much trouble in negotiating their way out of the group, CR7 is not taking anything for granted and just wants to take one game at a time as he dreams of lifting the European Championship this summer, with the added incentive of doing it on French soil.
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