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Tag: portugal

  • Man Utd teammates didn’t like me – Nani

    Man Utd teammates didn’t like me – Nani

    Nani admits he felt he wasn’t liked by his Manchester United team-mates during his early years at Old Trafford.

    The talented winger arrived at United as a fresh-faced youngster from Sporting Lisbon in 2007.

    But the Portugal international realised the club’s veterans were only pushing him to realise his potential.

    “It was so important for me to have Giggs, Scholes, Rio Ferdinand, because they were there every time, pushing me and saying things to me. I was not understanding what they were doing. I thought they didn’t like me,” Nani said on the UTD Podcast.

    “They would just, every time, go mad at me because things didn’t go well but they saw a lot of potential in me in training and were believing a lot in me. After two or three years, I started realising a lot. It’s one thing to listen but you try to do what they say.”

    He added: “Like I said, we fought, we disagreed on the field but it was the strongest team I’ve been in.

    “We knew the times to play together, to respect each other. When we had to enjoy it together as well.

    “We used to do celebrations because we never had a day off, our boss was a very hard person. At Christmas or someone’s birthday, or Manchester United Foundation galas, they were our opportunities to be together, drink a beer and sing.

    “I remember a great moment at a Christmas party where I remember Scholes singing, drinking his beer. Then I had to sing as well and improvise something.

    “I think sometimes I can rap a little bit and Rio was pushing me a lot to do that. I was doing it in English, so imagine that. My English is horrible! They were laughing a lot, so it was a great moment.”

  • I taught Cristiano Ronaldo everything – Nani

    I taught Cristiano Ronaldo everything – Nani

    Nani has named former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo in his dream five-a-side team and jokingly claimed to have taught him everything.

    The Portuguese winger’s selection for his fantasy squad – named on a video on the Major League Soccer Instagram account – included three players with whom he shared the Manchester United dressing room.

    Nani named David de Gea in goal and Paul Scholes among his outfield picks, with fellow countrymen Deco, Bruno Alves and Ronaldo completing the line-up, SkySport reports.

    On Ronaldo – who like Nani, also moved to United from Sporting Lisbon – he said, with tongue firmly in cheek: “Cristiano Ronaldo with all these skills, the fast feet, he learned a lot from me in the youth. He knows, he knows.”

    Continuing the very informal theme, Nani said of his goalkeeper selection: “David de Gea is in goal, a very good player and one of the best in the world but he must bring his glasses with him because he can’t see anything without them.”

    But when completing his selection, he played a somewhat straighter bat when it came to assessing the skills of the fifth member of the team.

    “Paul Scholes,” he said. “great control of the ball and great vision.”

  • Transfer: Kelechi joins new club

    Portuguese Liga Pro side, Atletico Clube, have announced the signing of versatile Nigerian defender, Kelechi John.

    The club made the announcement in a Facebook post on Friday, disclosing that the player will stay with them for the 2020/21 season.

    Nigeria U23 international has now parted company with his former club Rio Ave.

    In a message on the club’s Facebook page, the player said, “I’m here to help the team stay in ligapro. I want to prove my worth to help the team.”

    “I believe that from January we will climb the table and everything will be fine.”

     

     

  • Ronaldo moves close to 700 career goals

    Ronaldo moves close to 700 career goals

    Cristiano Ronaldo moved one strike away from his 700th career goal as Portugal edged closer to Euro 2020 with a 3-0 win against Luxembourg.

    Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva opened the scoring before Ronaldo chipped over Anthony Moris.

    Valencia’s Goncalo Guedes completed the scoring just before full-time.

    Portugal remain second in Group B, five points behind Ukraine, but four points clear of Serbia in third.

    Ronaldo will have the chance to become just the sixth person to score 700 goals when Portugal travel to Ukraine on Monday.

    Fernando Santos’ side can qualify with a win in Kiev, if Serbia fail to win in Lithuania.

  • Ronaldo claims 10th Portuguese Player of the year award

    Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo is far from closing shop on accumulation of awards both home and abroad.

    The former Real Madrid ace added another feather to his cap after clinching his 10th Portuguese Player of the year award.

    The 34-year-old has dominated his country’s annual awards night since 2007 and has taken the top gong each year since then – bar exceptions in 2010 and 2014 when Simao and Pepe respectively won the awards.

    Ronaldo, fresh from leading Juventus to an eighth straight Serie A title last season, beat off competition from Atletico Madrid starlet Joao Felix, Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva, Sporting Lisbon midfielder Bruno Fernandes and Wolves’ Ruben Neves.

    The glamorous awards evening took place at the Carlos Lopes Pavilion in Lisbon where Ronaldo, reflecting on a tough year, paid homage to his early days at Sporting Lisbon in his speech.

    ‘This world is so fast, with the social media, the press, it’s been wild,’ Ronaldo said.

    ‘It’s been an extremely complicated year on a personal level. Don’t let anyone pull you down.

    ‘I can’t help but mention that Sporting deserves a little prize. Next time.’

    Benfica were the big winners of the evening having been awarded the men’s and women’s Team of the Year awards.

    Bruno Lage, Benfica boss, was also recognised with the Manager of the Year award.

    Ronaldo, having missed on UEFA’s Player of the Year award at the expense of Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk, is looking to win FIFA’s The Best award after being named among the nominees.

    The Portuguese will again contest for the game’s biggest individual honour with Van Dijk and Barcelona star Lionel Messi.

    The winner will be announced on September 23 at a ceremony in Milan.

    AWARD WINNERS

    Male Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)

    Female Player of the Year: Jessica Silva (Levante / Lyon)

    Male Football Coach of the Year: Bruno Lage (Benfica)

    Female Coach of the Year: Miguel Santos (Braga)

    Men’s Team of the Year: Benfica

    Women’s Team of the Year: Benfica

  • UEFA Nations League: Ronaldo’s Portugal Emerge Champions

    UEFA Nations League: Ronaldo’s Portugal Emerge Champions

    Portugal have won the inaugural Nations League title by beating the Netherlands 1-0.

    This feat marks Portugal’s second trophy in three years as Goncalo Guedes’ second half effort gave them the win in Porto on Sunday night.

    “For the last five years, we have been an almost indestructible family who know what we are capable of doing,” Portugal coach Fernando Santos said.

    “We knew we could win this match,” he added.

    Guedes scored from the edge of the area following Bernardo Silva’s clever cutback.

    Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored a sublime hat-trick in the semi-final win over Switzerland, came close to netting again when he skipped past two defenders from the left, but stuck a shot straight at Barcelona’s Cillessen.

    Earlier, England finished third by edging out Switzerland on penalties in Guimaraes.

  • Ronaldo’s hat-trick sends Portugal to final

    Ronaldo’s hat-trick sends Portugal to final

    Cristiano Ronaldo scored a stunning hat-trick to send hosts Portugal into the Nations League final after a 3-1 win over Switzerland at the Estadio do Dragao.

    A superb Ronaldo 25-yard free-kick had Portugal ahead in the 25th minute, though Switzerland went close through striker Haris Seferovic either side of the opener.

    But the Swiss were level in controversial fashion as they were initially denied a penalty before Portugal went up the other end and instantly won a penalty of their own through Bernardo Silva.

    But, after a VAR check, the initial Swiss penalty appeal was given by VAR for a tug from Nelson Semedo on Steven Zuber, allowing Ricardo Rodriguez to tuck away the penalty in the 57th minute.

    Switzerland threatened to grab a winner, but it was Portuguese legend Ronaldo who won it, putting the hosts back ahead with a low, first-time finish in the 88th minute, before cutting in to find the bottom corner in the 90th.

    Portugal will now play in Sunday’s final against the winners of England’s clash with the Netherlands, who play on Thursday night.

  • Ronaldo recalled by Portugal for first time since World Cup

    Cristiano Ronaldo was recalled by the Portuguese national squad on Friday for the first time since last year’s World Cup.

    The 34-year-old, who is Portugal’s most capped player with 154 appearances and all-time leading scorer with 85 goals, had not been included for any games in the second half of last year.

    Coach Fernando Santos had initially said that a mutual decision had been made to give Ronaldo a rest following his move from Real Madrid to Juventus but had been ambiguous about the player’s future when questioned in November.

    Portugal continued to flourish without Ronaldo, winning their Nations League group against Poland and Italy with a game to spare to qualify for the final four-team tournament which the country will host in June.

    However, any doubts about his future were removed when Ronaldo’s name was among 25 read by Santos during a news conference for the Euro 2020 qualifiers against Ukraine and Serbia

    “Cristiano is the best player in the world and is returning to his team,” said Santos. “Any team is stronger with him.”

    Portugal host Serbia in Lisbon on March 22 and Ukraine three days later.

  • Again, Cristiano Ronaldo left out of Portugal squad

    Again, Cristiano Ronaldo left out of Portugal squad

    Portugal again left out Cristiano Ronaldo, their all-time record scorer and most capped player, as coach Fernando Santos named the squad for this month’s Nations League matches against Italy and Poland on Thursday.

    Santos previously omitted Ronaldo from the squad in September and October, saying the decision was taken by mutual consent as the 33-year-old was still adapting following his move from Real Madrid to Juventus.

    “The only thing I will say about Ronaldo is that I hope he wins the Ballon d’Or award,” said Santos, referring to France Football magazine’s annual player of the year award.

    “He deserves it and it would be an injustice if he didn’t win.”

    Portugal visit Italy on Nov. 17 and are at home to Poland three days later.

    Santos did not say whether Ronaldo, who last played for Portugal at the World Cup in Russia, would be recalled for their following matches in March.

    “It’s not just about Ronaldo, I have said that nobody is excluded,” said Santos. “It’s not worth creating a big fuss about it.”

    “Only the future will tell us what is going to happen. I don’t know what will happen between now and March. There will be a natural evolution… I don’t have the gift of being able to guess the future.”

    Santos recalled four Euro 2016 winners who missed the previous callup — Raphael Guerreiro, Jose Fonte, Andre Gomes and Joao Mario.

    Portugal lead Group Three with six points from two games and a draw in Italy will see them through to the semi-finals.

    Reuters/NAN

  • Ronaldo out of Portugal squad to face Scotland, Poland

    Ronaldo out of Portugal squad to face Scotland, Poland

    Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo is not in the Portugal squad for this month’s internationals against Poland and Scotland.

    The former Real Madrid and Manchester United player was rested for Portugal’s internationals in September.
    On Wednesday, the 33-year-old denied an allegation that he raped Kathryn Mayorga in 2009 in Las Vegas.
    Ronaldo said he was calm over “any and all investigations” as he had a “clear” conscience over the allegation.
    The Portugal captain missed Juventus’ Champions League win against Young Boys on Tuesday through suspension.
    Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo, who joined Juventus for £99.2m in July, has scored 85 goals in 154 games for his country and won Euro 2016.
    “In the future, nothing prevents Cristiano from giving his contribution to the national team,” Portugal coach Fernando Santos said.
    In September, Santos said Ronaldo missed the internationals against Croatia and Italy because the player needed time to adapt to his move from Real Madrid.
    Portugal visit Poland in the Uefa Nations League on 11 October, before travelling to Scotland for a friendly on 14 October.
    BBC