TheNewsGuru

Tag: Ronaldo

  • Zidane leaves Madrid door open for Ronaldo

    Zidane leaves Madrid door open for Ronaldo

    Zinedine Zidane has left the door ajar to bringing Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo back to Real Madrid.

    Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes is said to have sounded out Real about a return last week.

    “Yes, it may be,” Zidane replied when asked about Ronaldo. “We know Cristiano, we know the person he is and everything he has done here.

    “But now he’s a Juventus player and we must respect this.

    “Now, let’s see what the future will be. I was lucky enough to coach him and he is very impressive. Right now, he’s helping Juventus.”

    Zidane was speaking at his Champions League presser ahead of their round of 16 second-leg clash with Atalanta.

  • I said from first day Ronaldo was wrong signing – Ex-Juve president

    I said from first day Ronaldo was wrong signing – Ex-Juve president

    Former Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli says the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo has been a failure.

    The Portuguese great is being hammered in the local Italian media today for his role in Juve’s Champions League elimination by Porto.

    “Ronaldo was a wrong signing, absolutely,” Cobolli Gigli told Radio Punto Nuovo.

    “I had said it on his very first day at Juventus. He is a great champion, but he is too expensive.

    “Now it’s up to Juventus. They’ve been paying him €1m per goal. Agnelli must be self-critical, but he doesn’t have great collaborators.

    “I don’t blame Pirlo. I hired Ferrara and it was not a positive experience. Agnelli took a risk with him. He didn’t want Sarri, but he accepted him because Paratici and Nedved had pushed to hire him. Juventus need to rebuild now,”

  • UCL: Don’t blame Ronaldo for Juve exit – Del Piero

    UCL: Don’t blame Ronaldo for Juve exit – Del Piero

    Juventus legend Alex del Piero insists Cristiano Ronaldo shouldn’t be blamed for their Champions League elimination.

    Porto bounced Juve out of the competition last night at the round 16 stage, despite being a man down in the second-leg.

    Del Piero said: “Cristiano has responsibilities, of course. He didn’t have many chances, but he wasted that header that he used to always take advantage of. However, it can’t just be his fault. Juve played for more than an hour 11 against 10.”

    The journalist Paolo Condó, on the same TV set, was blunt about the Portuguese: “Cristiano was signed to compete at the highest level in the Champions League. In the first two seasons the rest of the team collapsed, this time he too.

    “Before the game I asked (sporting director Fabio) Paratici about his renewal, I think that now he would give me a negative answer.”

  • Capello blasts Ronaldo after Juve exit from Champions League

    Capello blasts Ronaldo after Juve exit from Champions League

    Cristiano Ronaldo and his Juventus team-mates have been eviscerated by Fabio Capello following the club’s Champions League exit at the hands of Porto.

    Both Ronaldo and Adrien Rabiot were roundly slated for turning their backs on Oliveira’s shot, and former Juve coach Capello has blasted the Portuguese superstar following the team’s elimination on away goals.

    “Cristiano Ronaldo can’t do that in a wall,” Capello fumed on Sky Sport Italia. “Whoever is in a wall should be aware that they might get hit and not be afraid of the ball. But he turned around and this is an unforgivable mistake for which there is no excuse.”

    Ronaldo wasn’t the only one to be called out by Capello, with Merih Demiral having conceded the penalty that led to Porto’s first goal of the night.

    “Juventus made elementary mistakes in both matches,” Capello went on. “There was some carelessness in Portugal then Demiral was naive in the penalty. That was a gift. He shouldn’t have tried to make the tackle, it was enough to stay tight.”

    Goal

  • Ronaldo makes history once again in Juve win

    Ronaldo makes history once again in Juve win

    Cristiano Ronaldo continued to raise the bar on Tuesday as he fired Juventus to a 3-0 win over Spezia.

    The Portuguese goalscorer was joined on the scoresheet by Alvaro Morata and Federico Chiesa as Juve ran rampant as they looked to keep pace in the Serie A title race.

    And, with his 83rd-minute goal, Ronaldo made history once again as one of the game’s greatest-ever goalscorers.

    With his goal on Tuesday, Ronaldo became the only player to score at least 20 goals in each of the last 12 seasons in the top-five European Leagues.

    The stretch began in 2009-10, his first season with Real Madrid, after he had scored a mere 18 goals during his last season with Manchester United.

    The Portuguese star scored at least 25 times during each of his nine seasons in Madrid, hitting the 40-goal mark three times during his trophy-filled time in Spain.

    Since moving to Juventus, Ronaldo has barely slowed down, as he scored 52 goals across his first two seasons in Serie A.

    He hit the 20-goal mark with his finish against Spezia, having scored a further seven in other competitions so far this campaign.

  • ‘Juventus made a mistake by signing Ronaldo’

    ‘Juventus made a mistake by signing Ronaldo’

    Former Italy international Antonio Cassano has said signing Cristiano Ronaldo has proven to be a mistake by Juventus.

    The Portuguese superstar arrived in Turin in 2018 with the aim being to propel Juventus to Champions League glory.

    That aim remains unfulfilled, and Cassano feels Juve erred in signing the five-time Ballon d’Or winner from Real Madrid.

    “Juventus signed him to win the Champions League, but they’ve done worse with him than they’ve done before,” Cassano said to Corriere dello Sport.

    “They would have won the Scudetto [Serie A title] without him. It was the wrong project.

    “He’ll keep scoring goals because he knows how to do that no matter what. He’ll cut in from the left, get the ball on his right foot and fire it in. His headers are unique.

    “But [head coach Andrea] Pirlo wants to build the play, pressure the opposition and play between the lines, and this means Cristiano doesn’t participate much.

    “I think he will have done badly unless they manage to win the Champions League.”

  • Ronaldo not world’s best – George Weah

    Ronaldo not world’s best – George Weah

    Former AC Milan star George Weah said Cristiano Ronaldo is not the best player in the world but he is still working hard to attain that feat.

    On Wednesday, the 35-year-old led Juventus to win the Italian Supercup with a goal in their 2-0 victory over Napoli.

    Weah, who is currently the President of Liberia, likened Ronaldo’s hard work and passion to Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s influence in Stefano Pioli’s team.

    “Ibra is strong and confident, but there is more behind this. Milan signed him because he can be every useful for young players. He is an example and an inspiration for them,” Weah told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

    “He is always focused and he gives everything for his passion. If you work hard and don’t lose your passion, then age is just a number. Think about Pietro Vierchowood, Franco Baresi or Paolo Maldini, they all played at high level until almost 40 years of age.

    “Ronaldo is also testimony to how combining hard work and passion can bring unexpected results. He is not the best in the world, but he trained so much to become the best. I am a fan of Ronaldo because he remained humble and he earned everything he achieved. He fought to get where he is now.”

  • Ronaldo hits 760th career goal in Juve Super Cup victory

    Ronaldo hits 760th career goal in Juve Super Cup victory

    Cristiano Ronaldo hit the 760th goal of his career – earning a possible world record – as Juventus beat Napoli to win the Italian Super Cup and give Andrea Pirlo his first trophy as manager.

    The Portugal forward volleyed a close-range opener, and substitute Alvaro Morata sealed victory in injury time seconds after a brilliant save from Juve goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.

    Napoli’s Lorenzo Insigne missed a penalty with 10 minutes left, before Italian champions Juve – who are fifth in Serie A after Sunday’s 2-0 loss to Inter Milan – confirmed their ninth Super Cup win.

    “It is a great joy to win a trophy,” Pirlo told Rai Sport.

    “It is even more beautiful than winning as a player. It is difficult to see beautiful finals. It was important to win above all after the defeat against Inter. We had to show our pride.”

    Pirlo’s side controlled much of the game, but had their Polish keeper to thank for keeping Napoli at bay with two outstanding saves.

    Szczesny’s quick reactions saw him parry away Andrea Petagna’s header from close range before half-time, and he was alert enough to extend his left foot out when diving the other way to stop Matteo Politano’s shot in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

    Ronaldo was Juve’s main threat, scoring his 32nd goal in 32 games for his club when a corner fell perfectly for him in the six yard area after deflecting off Tiemoue Bakayoko.

    Napoli, managed by Pirlo’s former Milan team-mate Gennaro Gattuso, struggled to threaten an equaliser until Weston McKennie caught substitute Dries Mertens as he cleared in his own area.

    Referee Paolo Valeri consulted with the pitchside monitor before awarding the penalty to Napoli, but Insigne sent his spot-kick wide.

    Juve broke away after Szczesny’s injury time save, with Juan Cuadrado’s pass giving Morata a simple chance to seal the win.

  • Fernandes reveals chat with Ronaldo before Man Utd move

    Fernandes reveals chat with Ronaldo before Man Utd move

    Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes has revealed a chat with Cristiano Ronaldo helped assure him ahead of his move from Sporting CP.

    Fernandes joined United a year ago from Sporting – and says he spoke to Old Trafford legend Ronaldo, now with Juventus, ahead of the transfer.

    He told NBC: “I talked to him, especially because he knows the club better than I do.

    “He gave me advice and it was important. I think everything would have been the same way, but when you talk to Cristiano it’s always better. We talked about the club, how big it is and how good it would be for me.

    “The opportunity I would have to join a great club, have the opportunity to fight for titles. That was the best advice he gave me. He told me: ‘Go and please the fans and they will love you. So play your game and the best of you will appear’.”

  • Ronaldo knocks out Messi, Salah; wins Player of the Century award

    Ronaldo knocks out Messi, Salah; wins Player of the Century award

    Cristiano Ronaldo, knocked out three other top contenders, for the Player of the Century crown at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai on Sunday.

    The Juventus forward attended the awards to receive the top prize for which Lionel Messi, Mohamed Salah and Ronaldinho were also shortlisted.

    “Thank you, to everyone who voted for me, to my family, to my mother and sisters,” Ronaldo said.

    “It is an exceptional achievement. It gives me the motivation to move forward.

    “To be named the best is a great honour, I hope that this situation is over next year and that we can have more fun, thank you very much. I hope to still be able to play for more years.”

    The 35-year-old Portuguese also received the Agent of the Century award on behalf of his agent and compatriot, Jorge Mendes.

    Bayern Munich striker, Robert Lewandowski was named the player of the year in what was a good evening for his club.

    Hansi Flick received the coach of the year prize and Bayern Munich were named the club of the year, after a season that included winning the Champions League, Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal titles.

    Real Madrid were recognised as the club of the century.

    Pep Guardiola was voted Coach of the Century, having won eight league titles with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City, as well as two Champions League titles with Barcelona.

    FIFA President, Gianni Infantino was also in attendance and played his part in the awards ceremony by handing trophies to several of the winners.