Real Madrid Star Cristiano Ronaldo Aiming To Be The Best Player In History

Real Madrid talisman Cristiano Ronaldo has set his sights on recapturing the Ballon d'Or in 2010 and declared that he wants to go down as the greatest player in history.Ronaldo relinquished the crown he won in 2008 to Barcelona star Lionel Messi, who also took over the title of FIFA World Player of the Year in 2009 but the Portuguese winger has his sights firmly set on returning to being recognised as the best footballer on the planet."I'm going to win the Ballon d'Or back, this year or next," he declared as quoted by Marca."I have an ambition to become the best player in history."The 24-year-old also declared that his troublesome ankle, which kept him out of action for two months, is in good shape and will not require surgery."The ankle is fine and if not the Real Madrid doctors will see it right. I am sure I will not need an operation," he noted.

Paul Madden, Goal.com

New Physics Book: When Cristiano Ronaldo Shoots, The Ball Moves Like A Baseball

In a book written by University of Bath physics professor Ken Bray, Cristiano Ronaldo has been praised for the challenges his free kicks pose to goalkeepers because of the physical properties of the ball's flight.In How to Score: Science and the Beautiful Game, Bray discusses the scientific connections between football and nature's natural laws, analysing the ball's trajectory when struck by some of the best free-kick takers in the world, including Didier Drogba, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo.Of 'CR9', the professor is quoted by AS as saying: "Cristiano takes free kicks in a special manner; the ball barely rotates after being struck. When Cristiano shoots, the ball acts similarly to a baseball and because of this, its trajectory is difficult to discern.

"To our eyes, some goalkeepers may appear stupified, but in truth they are not at fault. If they are headed towards goal, the Portuguese's shots are very difficult to save. No one shoots like this, except perhaps Sunderland's Kieran Richardson. And the goals have nothing to do with luck", says Bray, an admitted fan of Fernando Torres.What is even more worrisome for 'keepers is that Bray predicts CR9 will only improve his technique over time, making his free kicks that bit more lethal. Bray's mention of Ronaldo is the latest in a series of studies highlighting the winger's play. Two weeks ago, German magazine Der Spiegel released a study listing Ronaldo as the fastest elite player in the world.

Cyrus C. Malek, Goal.com

Real Madrid's Ronaldo Pleased With Real Zaragoza Thrashing

Real Madrid ended the year in style against Zaragoza, and Cristiano Ronaldo hopes it is a sign of things to come. Speaking to Marca after Los Merengues' 6 goal rout, Ronaldo said,"We scored six goals, which was very important for our confidence.""We are happy, and now we want to begin the next year as we finished this one."Ronaldo then emphasized the fact that Madrid had won despite missing some key players, continuing, "We miss the players who are injured because they have a lot of quality.""But the ones that played did very well."They have shown the coach that there are many options."'CR9' then spoke of his own fitness, stating, "I feel better and better.""I am scoring important goals, and want to continue to do so."Finally, Ronaldo expressed season's greetings for his fans, saying, "Merry Christmas to all football fans.""I expect that there will be a lot of enjoyment for them next year."

Arjun Miglani, Goal.com

Cristiano Ronaldo: I'm Only Human

Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted that he may have made a mistake on Saturday night against Almeria, but reminded everyone that he is only human. Ronaldo had an eventful evening, scoring a goal but also missing a penalty, and refusing to celebrate when Karim Benzema tucked the rebound away. Later, he was sent off, meaning he will miss the clash against Valencia next week. Speaking about the incidents to Marca after the match, Ronaldo said, "I am a human being, and I can also make mistakes.""It was an instinctive reaction, and I have already apologized to my team-mates."I am a perfectionist, but the good thing is that Karim scored."Real Madrid ended up winning the match 4-2.

Arjun Miglani, Goal.com