Portugal did the extraordinary with Cristiano Ronaldo. Can they do it without him?

The captain, the talisman, the brand: former teammates and experts discuss Portugal entering a new era after 23 years There are days football fans hope will never come. For Portugal, this is one of them. For 23 years, Cristiano Ronaldo has been more than the country’s greatest fo

The captain, the talisman, the brand: former teammates and experts discuss Portugal entering a new era after 23 years There are days football fans hope will never come. For Portugal, this is one of them. For 23 years, Cristiano Ronaldo has been more than the country’s greatest footballer; he has been its defining sporting figure, a symbol of national pride and constant presence in the lives of supporters.

After 234 appearances and 146 goals, the No 7 brought that chapter to a close and on Saturday night the team will play their first game without him . The national side are losing more than a great footballer; they are also losing one of the world’s biggest brands. Daniel Sá, the executive director of the Portuguese institute of marketing administration, believes Portugal require reinvention to attract at least some of the millions of viewers who tuned in because of CR7.

Continue reading...