Trapped in a certain mindset and the only man not in on the secret: RIATH AL-SAMARRAI looks into life on ‘Planet Cristiano Ronaldo’… so is there a big enough dummy for his ego?

At Swansea City they still tell a nice story about the subtle toughness of Roberto Martinez. These aren’t very hard to find, but this story goes back to his first job in management and involved dealing with a player who had become irate due to his circumstances.

That was Owain Tudur Jones, a Wales international who was frustrated at how often he was being benched in League One. It would have been around 2008 and, in true-to-life fashion, Jones marched into Martinez’s office to deliver a speech he had rehearsed with his dog.

He was prepared to demand answers to a few blunt questions and when he left ten minutes later, Jones was in an uproar. Martinez’s message from the moment the door opened was that he could be better than Sergio Busquets and what a joy, a privilege it was to watch every day in the mud. Jones felt a foot taller as he returned to his car, but then realized something: He hadn’t made any of his big speeches and wasn’t guaranteed any.

Quite a bit has changed for Martinez since then – environment, personnel, commitment and takes. But the alchemy of sweet-talking the talent remains the same at every level, because whatever is said about systems and structures, management is still largely about acts of pacification.

But can Martinez appease Cristiano Ronaldo? Is there a big enough dummy in the world for the biggest ego in sport? And can Martinez reach the full potential of this radiantly wonderful Portuguese team at the Euros with Ronaldo in it? I seriously doubt it on all three counts, and that is a point we will return to another time.

I seriously doubt he can do that – Ronaldo is not prepared to accept his limitations and accept that he is no longer the hero

What Ronaldo gives must be weighed against what he takes away from the collective effort, writes Riath Al-Samarrai

Let’s talk about the complicated feelings first, because I imagine many of us are in a strange situation when we look at Ronaldo these days. I was in Dortmund a week or so ago for the Portugal-Turkey match and it will always be a pleasure to see him in person, even now, when he is 39 and one tournament further on than when we largely agreed that his bell had rung. Watching him play on this stage today is magnetizing, inspiring, infuriating, bewildering; an experience that is a little bit wonderful and a little bit ridiculous.

It sometimes seems like we’ve been invited to the party of one man’s delusions, and the only person who doesn’t know the secret is the fading legend we’re watching.

I hope that doesn’t sound cruel, because there’s actually something beautiful in it, like all top artists who refuse to let go. I’ve written about Andy Murray before and an admiration that is deeper now that he’s run out of miles than when he was performing at his peak. Precisely for that reason I am attracted to his matches at Wimbledon.

Along the same lines of thought, I’ve found Tiger Woods more fascinating on one leg and playing off hunger and fear, just like when he won majors.

The greatness of these athletes, or rather the willpower that made them great, often only comes to light when their physical gifts are taken away or naturally eroded.

We see that of course with Ronaldo at this European Championship. We see what shaped him. What drove him. The depth of obsession that made him one of the very best ever. Some turn off those traits more easily than others, but those who refuse tell us more about where it all comes from.

We can add that Ronaldo has not had a bad tournament at all. Not great, but certainly not bad by a different standard than the one he set. With enough quality to win the European Championship, does Portugal have a better finisher in their squad? I wouldn’t say so.

But there is another discussion to be had about whether Ronaldo should be in the team. It’s different because raging against the dying out of the light is admirable and beautiful when athletes are beholden only to themselves, but what Ronaldo gives from here on out must be weighed against what he takes from the collective.

Watching Ronaldo play is mesmerizing, inspiring, infuriating, astonishing, both amazing and ridiculous

His performances have stoked despair with a litany of countless long-range shots

Martinez is talented at making sweet talk but will be tested to the limit to survive this late stage of Ronaldo’s career

So far, his performances in Germany have shown a player unwilling to embrace his limitations and unable to accept that he is no longer equipped to be the hero. Instead of leaning on his teammates to support and amplify the brilliance of the likes of Bernardo Silva, he seems trapped in a mentality where every action must still be done in service of himself. If there is a game to win, he should win it, as he was once able to do so often.

We’ve seen that manifest in each of his performances in the group stage. It has despaired and screamed with its countless shots on sight, regardless of distance and angle, against the Czech Republic, Turkey and Georgia.

It screamed even louder when he berated Joao Cancelo for not giving him a better chance to score when the second came in against Turkey. When Ronaldo later assisted Bruno Fernandes for 3-0, Martinez was so surprised that he described a routine, sensible pass as ‘something spectacular’ – a psychologist would call that ‘facilitation’. They could say the same about the teammates who agreed to Ronaldo’s request to celebrate that same goal with him and not the scorer.

That’s just the way he’s been for years, as well as those around him. When you live on Planet Ronaldo, you obey the customs and respect the cultures of the country. Just ask Martinez’s predecessor.

But it is even more worrying now that Ronaldo is far from being the best player on the pitch. Now that the 35-yard free kicks against Georgia don’t go in. Now what little enthusiasm he once had for pressing from the front has completely disappeared, leaving Martinez without a defensive option that has proven to work quite well in tournament football.

Ronaldo’s authority is shocking, even though he is far from the best player on the pitch

He assisted Bruno Fernandes’ goal against Georgia but expected players to celebrate with him

Ronaldo loves numbers and his numbers will stand the test of time, just like his trophies – 895 career goals is a tally of sustained excellence and wonder. But he has not scored in Germany, nor has he made an interception or tackle. He just looked older and more frustrated, in a way that happens to everyone and even the greats.

Perhaps it’s time, with such glorious possibilities within his reach, that Martinez reminds everyone of his subtle toughness. He won’t be facing Owain Tudur Jones, but it’s a good time to show he’s the manager, even if he may have to practice the conversation with a particularly fearsome breed of dog.

Spiky Raducanu seeks revenge

Emma Raducanu has already found her form before Wimbledon and that is great to see.

No one in their right mind would have taken pleasure in her troubles, but there was something strange about a post she shared last week.

It was after she had crushed Sloane Stephens in Eastbourne and written ‘My own pace’ on a camera lens, which was a riposte to those who have rightly questioned or criticised some of her decisions in recent years. I hope she is proven right, but that would never be found in one good week at a warm-up event.

It’s great to see Emma Raducanu doing well, but the vindication against her critics will come at Wimbledon, not Eastbourne

The IBF heavyweight belt is now effectively meaningless

Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois will fight for an IBF belt that is essentially meaningless

It took 25 years for heavyweight boxing to become an undisputed champion, and five weeks for the sport’s mindless politics to split the titles up again.

With the IBF forcing Oleksandr Usyk to relinquish the title, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois battle for a prize that has been effectively declared meaningless.