Football news - Take the shackles off, Portugal, or risk crumbling in a post-Ronaldo era

The process of succession is fraught. It is an admission, generally, that an era of excellence is nearing its conclusion. Thus, timing is crucial. And, for Portugal, the time to consider a post-Cristiano Ronaldo era might be now.

The consequences of a botched or poorly planned succession can be debilitating. Take Manchester United as an extreme example - it will take some time to address the havoc being wrought upon the club after Sir Alex Ferguson departed.

It is such a fraught business that even the most meticulous of planning can be waylaid. Barcelona, for example, re-signed Cesc Fabregas from Arsenal in 2011 as a natural heir to the tempo-setting throne of Xavi. The then 24-year-old, an alumnus, just like Xavi, of La Masia, represented the strongest candidate to succeed the Barcelona captain at the base of the midfield. However, the timing was slightly off; Xavi’s longevity reduced Fabregas’ role from that of heir apparent to bit part player.

It was a role the former Arsenal man was unwilling to fulfil, and he left the club for Chelsea in 2014. 2015 would see Xavi claim a treble in his final season at Barcelona before a lucrative move to Qatar, where he played for Al Sadd until his retirement last month. Barcelona have failed to win the Champions League since his departure, such was their dependence on him. There are, of course, other factors involved but much of their greatness stemmed from the midfield control he provided. He embodied the ethos that made the team great.

Ronaldo is, and has been for some 15 years plus, the embodiment of this Portugal team, though he seems impervious to the ageing process. Time, as it does, will eventually catch up with him. It was over a decade and a half ago that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner emerged as a generational talent alongside Portugal’s Golden Generation. Ronaldo, along with Rui Costa, Figo and Deco, propelled A Seleção das Quinas to the final of Euro 2004, where they would lose to a conservative, organised and functional Greece team coached by Otto Rehhagel.

Some 12 years later, Ronaldo, this time with a less illustrious supporting cast, dragged a conservative, organised and functional Portugal side coached by Fernando Santos to the final of Euro 2016. Ronaldo, of course, would leave the final early injured, leaving it to Eder to seal a first piece of silverware for Santos’ men. As time passes, international honours with a functional, if not exceptional team, will only further burnish his reputation.

His legacy is already set. At the time of writing Ronaldo has scored 85 international goals in 156 games. Greatness to that extent can dim or shadow the talent that surrounds it. However, Portuguese football is in rude health; the squad selected for the Nations League is superior to the team that won the Euros.

The current crop of emerging players, including Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Dias and Joao Felix, have drawn comparisons with that gilded generation of Figo and Rui Costa. It is Felix who elicits most excitement. The 19-year-old, yet to be capped at a senior level, has had a standout season at Benfica, where he has hit 20 goals in 43 games to fire the Lisbon club to the Primeira Liga title.

Ruben Dias, a centre-half also of Benfica, was a key figure, making the team of the tournament, as Portugal won the U19 European Championship in 2018. Hélio Sousa’s men beat Italy 4-3 in the final, with Jota, sometimes referred to as the new Cristiano Ronaldo, hitting a brace. Bruno Fernandes - just 24 but having made his debut for Novara in Serie B in 2012 and now of Sporting CP – has piqued the interest of a host of European clubs with his goal scoring exploits in central midfield. Ergo, the current Portugal squad is brimming with potential.

However, Portugal have, in Santos, a conservative coach. This conservatism has served them well, they enter the tournament as favourites and having lost just four of their last 43 games. That is some record. Yet, there are underlying issues. They are a team, despite containing Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, who struggle to create. Given the body of creative evidence those two players alone have put together at Sporting CP and Manchester City respectively, it suggests the issue might be with Santos’ overdependence on senior players and his system. It is a system that suits the explosive scoring of Ronaldo.

However, Ronaldo, for club of country, has not been as explosive this season. That, considering he is 34, should be of no real surprise. His numbers are still hugely impressive, but the trend is downwards. Now, therefore, would represent the right time to perhaps reduce the dependency on Ronaldo and now, therefore, would be the time for Santos to open his system up to the more expansive brand of football that suits the calibre of player at his disposal.

And their Nations League semi-final against the weakest of the four teams in Switzerland represents a gilt-edged opportunity to do so.

The likelihood of that happening, though, is slim. Santos’ pragmatism has already won Portugal one piece of international silverware and could be about to win them another. However, it might also be stifling a new golden generation of players. And that golden generation of players will need to step up once Ronaldo finally steps away, whenever that might be. As evidenced by Barcelona the process might not be seamless but succession planning is all about timing and the time is now.