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Tag: Ronaldo

Ronaldo hails Juventus after dominating Messi’s Barcelona
Cristiano Ronaldo says Juventus have “nothing to fear” after their dominant 3-0 win over Barcelona.
Ronaldo converted a penalty in each half as his great rival Lionel Messi toiled in vain – the margin of victory enough for Juve to pip Barca to top spot in Champions League Group G.
After numerous memorable battles at Camp Nou in the white of Real Madrid, the 35-year-old revelled in the most impressive moment of Juventus’ fledgling Andrea Pirlo era.
“Always great to return to Spain and to Catalunya, always hard to play in Camp Nou against one of the best teams I ever faced,” Ronaldo tweeted.
“Today we were a team of Champions! A true, strong and united family!
“Playing like this, we have nothing to fear until the end of the season… Let’s go!”
Coach Andrea Pirlo, who has endured mixed fortunes during his debut season on the bench in Turin, was delighted to see Ronaldo star against his old La Liga rivals, while singling out the veteran’s work ethic for particular praise.
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“Ronaldo was very motivated to put in a good performance here against his eternal rival, so when you’re that motivated, it becomes simple,” he explained to Sky Sport Italia after the final whistle.
“There are many games in a season and it’s easier to get fired up for fixtures like this, but we mustn’t lose sight of the real target, which is Serie A, so we have to be this concentrated and committed there too.
“It was important for our journey that we pick up where we left off in the derby. When you start with that focus, concentration and determination, then the quality emerges.
“We had prepared the match to create superiority in midfield with three against their two, the midfielders like McKennie able to push up, as we knew they had difficulty stopping them pushing up through the middle.
“The tactical plan worked and then the players did really well to make the most of the scoring opportunities.”
Juve are back in action on Sunday, when they visit Genoa in Serie A.
December 9, 2020
Ex-Arsenal youth player Mavididi credits Ronaldo for aiding his development
Ex-Arsenal youngster Stephy Mavididi has credited Cristiano Ronaldo for aiding his development, admitting that training with the Juventus superstar “helped me so much”.
Mavididi spent five years making his way through Arsenal’s youth ranks before graduating to the senior squad in 2016, but struggled to force his way into Arsene Wenger’s plans thereafter.
The former England Under-20 international was sent out on loan to Charlton Athletic twice and Preston North End once before being sold to Juventus on a permanent deal in 2018 – initially joining the Italian giant’s reserves set-up.
Mavididi was handed his first-team debut a year later, but ultimately failed to establish himself as a regular, and was subsequently loaned to Ligue 1 outfit Dijon for the duration of the 2019-20 campaign.
The 22-year-old impressed enough to earn a €6 million move to Montpellier in the summer transfer window, where he is finally beginning to fulfil his potential after been handed the opportunity to play week in, week out.
Mavididi has scored twice in 11 Ligue appearances to help Michel Der Zakarian’s side rise to fifth in the standings, and he will be in line to feature once again when reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain arrive at Stade de la Mosson on Saturday.
The talented young forward claims he soaked up a lot of valuable experience working alongside Ronaldo in Turin, which has helped him transform into the player he is today.
“It was a privilege to even train with him. It’s helped me so much,” Mavididi told The Guardian of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
“It’s not even about going up to him and asking him questions. You just watch him and you learn.”
The former Gunners striker went on to explain why he failed to make the grade at Emirates Stadium, before insisting that leaving England proved to be a blessing in disguise.
“I tend not to look at the regrets because if I had stayed at Arsenal then I probably wouldn’t be where I am now,” he said.
“When you’re at these big clubs, you’ve got to have everything going in your favour – you need a manager who is willing to play you, some luck and maybe if there’s some injuries or suspensions – and that’s not always the case in football.
“Moving abroad gave me a fresh start. It helped me to discover a different way of living and playing football at a very good level instead of dropping down the leagues.”
Mavididi added on his desire to make a mark at international level: “My ultimate goal is to get into England’s senior team, but for now the best pathway is the Under-21s so I want to try and get into that squad.
“We have a very exciting generation of players and I feel like I’m part of that.”
December 3, 2020
Martinelli likened to Brazil legend Ronaldo as Campbell lauds ‘sensational’ Arsenal starlet
Gabriel Martinelli has been likened to Brazil legend Ronaldo by former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell, with the Gunners considered to have a “sensational” talent on their hands.
Those at Emirates Stadium were given a glimpse of what the 19-year-old is capable of during his debut campaign in English football.
The talented teenager was expected to be eased into the fold following a 2019 switch from Ituano.
He was very much a rough diamond in need of polishing, with Arsenal moving quickly to ensure that they would be the ones to benefit from obvious potential.
Martinelli settled quickly in new surroundings, though, and was able to earn regular game time under Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta, as well as a new long-term contract.
A productive first season in north London delivered 10 goals through 26 appearances, with his progress only stunted by an unfortunate injury.
Martinelli was laid low prior to competitive football entering a state of coronavirus-enforced lockdown in March.
He has not been seen since, as he works his way back from a serious knee injury, but could return before the end of the calendar year.
Campbell is among those looking forward to seeing the youngster step back onto the field, with his early outings for Arsenal seeing him follow in the footsteps of an iconic countryman.
“I think Martinelli is the one, I really do,” former Gunners frontman Campbell told Football Insider.
“Martinelli was sensational when he came in last season.
“He is a real handful – strong, direct and reminds me of the Brazilian Ronaldo. The way that he picks up the ball and runs at goal is phenomenal.
“I am not saying that he is Ronaldo but he reminds me of him, especially with that goal he scored at Chelsea.
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“[He’s got a] big future but I do not want to put too much pressure on him because he suffered that injury and he needs time to come back and get his feet under the table again, get comfortable and play games.
“Players tend to get long-term injuries and then come back and pick a niggle up somewhere else. He will need time to get back into the swing of things.”
Martinelli’s last outing came against Portsmouth in March, with an unfortunate setback preventing him from figuring in FA Cup and Community Shield successes for Arteta’s side.
November 10, 2020
‘Ronaldo has no respect for his team-mates’ – former Juventus defender Pasquale Bruno
Cristiano Ronaldo has been labelled “ignorant” by Pasquale Bruno, with the former Juventus defender of the opinion that the Portuguese superstar lacks respect for both his team-mates and the country of Italy as a whole.
Largely regarded as one of the best footballers in history, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner ended a nine-year stay at Real Madrid in 2018 as he opted to start a new chapter in his career with Juventus.
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Despite his advancing years, the 35-year-old has shown no signs of slowing down since his arrival, doing his fair share of graft and bagging plenty of goals to help the Bianconeri to back-to-back Serie A titles.
But, while the Portugal captain’s talent is unquestioned, Bruno believes that a refusal to learn Italian throughout his two years in the country smacks of a lack of respect for the rest of the Juventus squad and general public in his new home.
“He is ignorant,” the 58-year-old said during an appearance on Tiki Taka. “He has been in Italy for two years and has not yet learned to speak our language. He uses Spanish to express himself. He has no respect for his team-mates or for the Italians.”
Ronaldo is unlikely to be affected by those comments, however, with Juan Cuadrado stating at the recent Champions League pre-match press conference that the attacker is a model professional who helps to drive his team forward.
“Ronaldo is very happy, he couldn’t wait to come back and play,” the Colombian said of his team-mate’s return from a coronavirus-enforced lay-off. “You saw that from the moment he stepped onto the pitch [against Spezia].
“He’s an extra weapon for us, we all know what he gives to the team. He is very confident and that helps us too, passing on the professionalism and desire to win that we all ought to have.”
While Ronaldo came off the bench against Spezia, he is expected to feature from the start against Ferencvaros on Wednesday and head coach Andrea Pirlo confirmed that he will not change his tactics despite switching up his on-field personnel.
“The attitude is the same. The players change from game to game but the positions are the same,” the Italy legend said. “[Weston] McKennie played against Spezia, [Aaron] Ramsey was there two games ago and [Dejan] Kulusevski before that.
“It doesn’t matter who plays, the model remains the same.”
November 4, 2020
Barcelona troll Juventus, Ronaldo after UCL win
Barcelona trolled Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus on Twitter following the Spanish side’s 2-0 win over the Italian champions on Wednesday.
The Catalans took down Juve at the Camp Nou on Wednesday, moving atop their Champion League group with two wins from as many games.
Barca benefitted from a first-half goal from Ousmane Dembele, whose shot deflected up and over Wojciech Szczesny for the game’s opener.
They added a second in the 91st minute with a Lionel Messi spot-kick, with Juventus having seen Merih Demiral sent off moments earlier for a second yellow.
Originally billed as a clash of two of the greatest of all time in Messi and Ronaldo, Juventus were without their talismanic striker once again on Wednesday.
The Portuguese star has been absent after testing positive for the coronavirus during the international break, and he did not produce a negative test in time to take part in Wednesday’s Champions League clash.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Ronaldo said he was “feeling good and healthy” but the Juventus star then commented questioning the accuracy of the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests that ruled him out for the Barca match.
“PCR IS BULLSH*T”, he wrote, before eventually deleting the comment.
Without Ronaldo, Juventus were unable to produce a goal, although Alvaro Morata did see a trio of finishes ruled out due to offside calls.
And Barcelona took to social media to troll their opponents after the match, saying: We are glad you were able to see the GOAT on your pitch, @juventusfcen!”
Having defeated both Juventus and Ferencvaros, Barca currently sit atop the group, with Juventus just behind on three points. Goal
October 29, 2020
Messi to face Ronaldo in Champions League draw
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will face off for the first time since the latter’s move to Turin from Real Madrid two years ago
Barcelona will face Juventus in the group stage of the Champions League after they were paired together in Group G in the draw, which took place in Geneva on Thursday.
The heavyweight fixture will see Cristiano Ronaldo come up against Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi for the first time since his move to Juventus from Real Madrid in the summer of 2018.
The two men, who have shared 11 of the last 12 Ballon d’Or awards between them, enjoyed a historic rivalry in La Liga and will resume hostilities in Europe’s elite competition next month.
Barca and Juve have been joined in Group G by Dynamo Kyiv and Ferencvaros, the Hungarian outfit who beat Celtic en-route to qualifying for the main draw for the first time in their history.
October 1, 2020
Ronaldo draws blank as Sassuolo hold jittery Juventus
Cristiano Ronaldo’s run of scoring in six league games ended as jittery Juventus were held to a 3-3 draw at Sassuolo on Wednesday.
With this result, the defending champions missed the chance to go nine points clear at the top of Serie A.
Having taken two points from their last three games, Juventus are on 77 points, seven ahead of Atalanta, who thumped Brescia 6-2 on Tuesday, with five matches remaining.
Defender Danilo opened the scoring for Juventus in the sixth minute.
A corner kick found him unmarked on the edge of the box, and he drilled a powerful shot through a cluster of bodies into the net.
Gonzalo Higuain made it two six minutes later, latching on to a superb ball from Miralem Pjanic.
But a shot into the top corner by Filip Djuricic in the 29th minute signalled the start of a spirited fightback by the home side.
They levelled six minutes into the second half when Domenico Berardi curled a beautiful free-kick in at the near post.
Sassuolo went ahead three minutes later as Francesco Caputo stole in at the far post to steer in a wayward Berardi shot.
Ronaldo’s best effort was an attempted lob in the first half that landed just wide, but he was well-shackled by the Sassuolo defence.
Instead it fell to left-back Alex Sandro to produce a rare goal, meeting a 64th minute corner kick with a bullet header to level the scores.
Chasing their ninth league title in a row, Juventus poured the pressure on but could not force a winner.
Instead, Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny had to make a superb save to keep one point.
He had to keep out a dipping shot from Mehdi Bourabia in stoppage time as they hung on for a draw that left coach Maurizio Sarri frustrated.
“We struggle to maintain physical and mental continuity. It is difficult to understand why we have very good moments and others of passivity,” Sarri said.
“It is difficult to understand, even allowing for the fact that we are meeting teams who are in extraordinary form. We have the feeling of ups and downs during the game,” he added.(Reuters/NAN)
July 16, 2020
Ronaldo misses penalty kick as Juventus squeeze into Coppa Italia final
Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty kick as hosts Juventus were held to a 0-0 draw by 10-man AC Milan on Friday.
But the Turin side still squeezed into the Coppa Italia final as the season restarted following a three-month stoppage for the novel coronavirus.
Juventus qualified for Wednesday’s final on away goals following their 1-1 draw in the first leg of the semi-final, played on Feb. 13.
They will now face Napoli or Inter Milan who meet on Saturday.
The two key moments happened within six seconds of each other early in the match played behind closed doors at the Allianz Stadium.
Juventus were awarded a penalty kick in the 16th minute after the VAR officials spotted the ball hitting Andrea Conti’s elbow.
But Ronaldo, whose late penalty kick in the first leg turned out to be decisive, slammed his effort against the foot of the post.
It was the second penalty kick missed by the 35-year-old in two seasons at the club.
AC Milan cleared the ball upfield but, as they did so, forward Ante Rebic aimed a wild kick at Danilo.
He was consequently sent off, forcing the visitors to play for more than 70 minutes with 10 men.
AC Milan, missing veteran forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a calf injury, held out well but rarely threatened to snatch the goal that would have taken them into the final.
They caused Juve only one real fright when Hakan Calhanoglu was close with a diving header early in the second half.
“The emotions are strange,” said Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci. “After 90 days, we were playing again in an empty stadium and it was strange at the start.”
Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri did not give a post-match interview while his counterpart Stefano Poli was left to reflect on the goal they conceded at home and Rebic’s red card.
“We committed the naive act of ending up with a man less. Then afterwards we had a great game and then we had chances to go ahead,” he said.
“The results are clear, two draws. The difference was subtle. I don’t think we played worse than our opponents in the two games.”(Reuters/NAN)
June 13, 2020
Ronaldo penalty earns Juve draw at 10-man Milan
A stoppage-time Cristiano Ronaldo penalty rescued a 1-1 draw for Juventus at 10-man AC Milan on Thursday in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final.
Ante Rebic’s volley gave the hosts a deserved lead after 61 minutes, following a string of good saves from veteran Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.
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But Stefano Pioli’s side were reduced to 10 men for the final 18 minutes when defender Theo Hernandez was shown a second yellow card for a rash challenge on Paulo Dybala.
Juventus were awarded a penalty in the dying minutes following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, which showed that a Ronaldo scissor kick had struck the arm of Milan defender Davide Calabria.
The Portuguese forward smashed the spot-kick into the roof of the net to earn his side a draw ahead of the second leg in Turin on March 4.
Napoli defeated Inter Milan 1-0 in the first leg of the other semi-final in Milan on Wednesday. (Reuters/NAN)
February 14, 2020
Ronaldo strikes again as Juventus go top with Roma win
Cristiano Ronaldo continued his superb scoring form as Juventus won 2-1 away to AS Roma on Sunday and moved two points clear at the top of Serie A.
Merih Demiral put the Italian champions ahead early on before Ronaldo fired home a penalty to double their advantage with just 10 minutes played.
It was Ronaldo’s 14th league goal of the season and his ninth in the last six Serie A appearances.
Things got worse for Roma towards the end of the first half when winger Nicolo Zaniolo was taken off in tears on a stretcher, and the club confirmed at full-time that the 20-year-old has ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
The hosts pulled one back on 68 minutes through a Diego Perotti penalty, before Juve substitute Gonzalo Higuain had a late strike ruled out for offside.
The result leaves Juventus on 48 points at the top of the table at the midway stage of the season, two ahead of Inter Milan, while Roma are fifth on 35 points.
“We played well for a good 60 minutes, and suffering at the Stadio Olimpico against Roma is almost inevitable,” Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri told Sky Sport Italia.
“What I did not like is that we tried to sit on our lead rather than increase it, as three times we had three-against-one counter-attacks and didn’t finish them off.”
Juve were in front after three minutes when Demiral volleyed home a Paulo Dybala delivery.
Dybala then robbed Roma midfielder Jordan Veretout of possession before being hauled down inside the box to earn his side a penalty, which Ronaldo dispatched to give the visitors a dream start.
Juve lost Demiral to injury after 17 minutes, but there were graver concerns for Zaniolo as he was carted off the pitch.
Roma confirmed after full-time that the Italy international will undergo surgery on Monday after rupturing the ACL in his right knee, along with damaging the meniscus.
“This is a bad moment and now Nicolo has to focus only on recovering as quickly as possible,” Roma coach Paulo Fonseca told Sky Sport Italia.
“We are sad, but tomorrow is another day.”
Edin Dzeko fired a shot off the post midway through the second half before sending a cross to Cengiz Under, whose header was blocked by Juve defender Alex Sandro.
The Brazilian was adjudged to have handled following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, and Perotti sent Wojciech Szczesny the wrong way from 12 yards.
There were late chances at both ends as Ronaldo headed wide from a good position, before Roma midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini lashed over inside the box.
Earlier, Hellas Verona came from behind to beat Genoa 2-1 and rise to eighth in the standings on 25 points, leaving the relegation battling visitors stranded in 18th place with 14 points.
January 13, 2020