Awww. Some bonds never break.
A night that looked doomed for failure for Cristiano Ronaldo after he was stretchered off in the 25th minute after a strong Dimitri Payet tackle ended in joy as Portugal went on to beat France in extra time to win their first major trophy. After being taken out of the action, Ronaldo was a mirror-image of his old Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson as he pointed at an imaginary watch and cheered on his teammates from the touchline.
And like Ferguson's Manchester United, Portugal responded with a late, late goal to break French hearts. The most heart-warming moment however came after the match when Ronaldo walked over to collect the trophy and ran into his old boss.
The duo shared a warm hug before Ronaldo went on pick up the trophy. Ronaldo seemed thrilled beyond belief to see his old manager and it appears that the two still share a very warm relationship as they embraced like father and son.
Ronaldo learned the tricks of the trade at Ferguson’s knee in Manchester United where we went from a wiry teenager to one of the best players in the world. The gaffer always considered Ronaldo to be his crowning jewel and the best player to ever put on the Manchester United shirt.
He wrote in his autobiography: “Cristiano Ronaldo was the most gifted player I managed. He surpassed all the other great ones I coached at United. And I had many. The only ones who could be placed near him would be a couple of the home-produced players, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, because they contributed so prodigiously to Manchester United for two decades.”
Portugal fans go berserk with joy
Central Lisbon was taken over by dancing fans, faces painted red, green and yellow and waving national flags after Portugal's stunning win over France in the Euro 2016 final. Tens of thousands of screaming supporters flooded the streets to celebrate Portugal's 1-0 victory -- the country's first international title delivered even as superstar Cristiano Ronaldo watched injured from the touchline.
"Champions, we are the champions of Europe!" crowds chanted in a fan zone in Lisbon.
"Words fail me. We deserved it. We finally silenced the French and everyone who spoke ill of us. We proved that we are stronger," said 22-year-old Ruben Sardinha, a Portuguese flag tied around his neck.
Fellow fan Carla Martins, with tears in her eyes, said she didn't doubt her team for a second.
"Portugal! Portugal!" she screamed before losing her voice. "I believed in us right until the end. We deserved it!" But not everyone was so confident throughout. The crowd shuddered with fear after Ronaldo was stretchered off in tears in the first half.
That dread was replaced with explosive cheers after substitute Eder's thundering out-of-the-blue shot in the 109th minute.
"Without a doubt we deserve it. We weren't arrogant, but humble. Maybe with Ronaldo we would have had one more goal, but we played as a team and it paid off," said fan Fernando Silva, 61.
But still, the victory was bittersweet for some who would have liked to see the captain finish the tournament on a higher note.
"Ronaldo didn't deserve to finish like that in tears. It's really very sad," said Gregorio Teixeira, 40.
After the final whistle sounded, booming cheers echoed through the streets of Lisbon, as fans in cars waved flags and honked their horns with fireworks exploding overhead.
Thousands gathered at Lisbon's Marques de Pombal, where even the square's namesake statue was draped in Portugal's banner, to belt out the national anthem.
"Eder, Eder," the fans chanted of the night's hero.
At a nearby square, throngs of fans gathered for a joy-fuelled dance party after watching a beaming Ronaldo and his team lift the trophy on a large screen.
Portugal's win last night healed their football wound
from a shock they suffered 12 years ago in the 2004 Euro final when they lost lost to Greece 1-0 on home territory -- a defeat that left Ronaldo in tears.
"It's very emotional. We couldn't take the title in 2004 but we are finally victorious," said Tiago Teixeira, 22.
The victory was a much-needed morale boost for Portugal as the country struggles to kickstart its economy after a public spending crisis that sparked a threat of possible sanctions by the European Commission this month.
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who watched the game at the Stade de France, celebrated the win along with the rest of the nation.
"We are the best in Europe. We showed what we are made of: strong, united and able to overcome all difficulties," a jubilant de Sousa said.
Former Portugal captain Luis Figo also chimed in, saying "CHAMPIONS! You are great! Congratulations!" on social media.
Portugal can now expect a momentous national welcome when they return to Lisbon and a tickertape parade through the capital tomorrow.
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