Hope #3: That Cristiano Ronaldo can avoid peaking.
Cristiano Ronaldo had the best summer ever. After winning the Champions League Ronaldo went on to win the 2016 Euros with Portugal, a feat that seemed almost impossible years prior. Finally Ronaldo had erased the few doubters that still existed and earned the international title that had eluded him for so many years. While he was not on the pitch for the Euro final make no mistake about it: that was Ronaldo’s team. What the man has done in his early thirties has helped cement his legacy and really erase any doubts that still existed.
But here is the problem: Ronaldo is 31 years old and will be 32 in February. At this stage in his career players are beginning to reach their peak and very often the decline can be quick. Football is a young man’s sport and although Ronaldo isn’t exactly sprouting gray hairs (who would know given the amount of time and effort the man spends on grooming) he is getting older. Injuries have also slowly started to creep up and the recovery time just isn’t what it used to be.
That being said Ronaldo hasn’t reached his peak yet so the question is how can Zidane extend his career so that his full potential can be utilized. The key seems to be match minutes. There really isn’t any point in keeping Ronaldo in matches where Madrid are routing a side. Nor is there a need to have him play against the likes of Getafe or Las Palmas.
It will be a difficult sell to Ronaldo but as evidenced by his turn as a pseudo coach for Portugal during the Euro final he seems at least open to new challenges. He certainly has plenty to give the younger players with his experience on and off the pitch and by all indications is a good role model. Having Zidane, a world-class footballer in his time, on the bench to bounce ideas off of and learn from certainly helps. Again, this is not to say that Ronaldo is done but rather how can the club get the most out of him for the longest period.