Cristiano Ronaldo 7

Kaka: Ronaldo is a Complete Player

2011-11-12T12:37:00.001+08:00

The midfielder Kaka to Real Madrid teammate Ronaldo believes is the most complete player in the world currently.

Ronaldo sparkling form in recent seasons have seen claim a place among the elite players in the world, but much debate still exists as to whether it is the best football currently.

Barcelona, Lionel Messi is an ACE who can claim their rights as such, while Spain Duo Xavi and Andres Iniesta are also popular.

However, Kaka, who won the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year Awards 2007, believes that Ronaldo can be considered the most complete player at the moment.

"Choosing the best player in the world is relative because it depends on what you are doing together," Kaka said in the official website of the Real.

"But I would say Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest all-round player in modern football.

"The result with both feet, head and kicking."

Ronaldo Praises Ozil Influence

2011-11-12T12:35:00.001+08:00

Real Madrid Ace Cristiano Ronaldo believes that the presence of Mesut Ozil on the side made him a better player.

Ozil joined Real Madrid from Werder Bremen at the start of last season and had a brilliant season debut in the league, scoring ten goals and 26 serving in the determination of the 53 games.

And Ronaldo, who scored 53 goals in all competitions last season, insists Özil firm has helped a lot in the field.

"Yes, Mesut has made me better," Ronaldo told Kicker. "If you have great players around you, you need to play harder.

"He is fantastic Ozil can read the game and knows when the game was when she should make a dribble. - It is just a class."

Having often received a large pass-through Ozil, Ronaldo believes that the two of them share the telepathic understanding of the field.

"We have a really good connection and this is even better.

"I love playing with him, he is fantastic."

And even if it is considered one of the best players in the world at the moment, the Portuguese international believes that it is still improving his game remaining.

"Well, you never know your limits.

"And of course I can do some things better."

Ronaldo has already been put in 17 goals in all competitions this season, and shows another campaign blinding Los Blancos.

Ronaldo: Mourinho best in the world

2011-09-13T10:39:00.003+08:00

Real Madrid forward Ronaldo believes his coach Jose Mourinho is currently the best in the industry.

Mourinho, who has obtained success in Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan, is currently in his second season in charge of reality, but only the Copa del Rey to show for its efforts so far.

Already many have suggested that Mourinho will be sacked at the end of this season if he fails to land the league title or the Champions League by UEFA.

However, Ronaldo is convinced that a serious error, if the hierarchy feels real fire is one of the world.

"Mourinho is currently the best coach in the world and is great to work with him," said the official website of Real Madrid Ronaldo.

"Mourinho is my friend first of all, is my coach and, finally, is the person I am really happy to be involved."

After the break, Real resume their league campaign on Saturday against Getafe away, Ronaldo admits that Whites could be a real test.

"Away games are the hardest, so we want to be well prepared to avoid surprises."

And when asked what was the goals of the season for Real, Ronaldo answers suggested that there was a way trapped in the crosshairs of the club.

"We have a minimum goal of the season, [but] we will do our best to win the Champions League."

Ronaldo: I could play in Russia

2011-09-13T10:36:00.000+08:00

Cristiano Ronaldo has shocked fans of Real Madrid has admitted that he could go to the Russian Premier League.

Portuguese was requested by Sportbox.ru about a possible move to Russia after the removal of Samuel Eto'o lot of money for Anzhi Makhachkala Inter Milan this summer, and admitted he would consider a similar transfer.

Speaking at the first global society of the Castrol EDGE presents "Ronaldo is a test" documentary Madrid striker admitted: "Why I can not know that the football championship of Russia is getting stronger and I have no objection to play a day in your country.

"In football you never know what's going on. So if I come to Russia, does not raise eyebrows in surprise," he added.

He acknowledged, however, that any movement can be made much later in his career, and added: ". At the moment, I am quite satisfied with the Real"

Ronaldo has been in good form this season in the league, scoring four goals in two games against Real Zaragoza and Getafe to take his club to the top of the table.

Real Madrid's Iker Casillas: Cristiano Ronaldo is my teammate, my friend and my enemy

2011-06-25T17:44:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas has described Cristiano Ronaldo as a "teammate, friend and foe" and reveals that he often argued with the front in Portuguese.

Reports of a rift abundant early in the season and while both have denied any animosity and were photographed together, even - with their girlfriends - in social, Casillas said that their relationship is not always harmonious.

"He is a friend and teammate, a teammate and a friend, but it is also an enemy, because we argue a lot."

Ronaldo hit 40 league goals for Madrid this term (53 in total) and Casillas praised the 26 years, marking the contribution, said he would choose the Portuguese in the lead, with five-time winner in Hugo Sanchez Pichichi a real dream team in Madrid.

"I've never played with Hugo and I saw him play a lot," said the goalkeeper.

"I'll stick with what I know and that is Cristiano. It is no coincidence that he scored 40 in a season. And he did it before, so it must be good. "

Casillas also praised manager Jose Mourinho made a puppy competitive again.

"He [Mourinho] has become a competitive team and an aggressive nature, which has made us more mature," he said.

"We are a young team, and our first tooth came out of the Copa del Rey. But we are not satisfied and we must be more ambitious. "

Real Madrid's Jorge Valdano hails 'heroic' Cristiano Ronaldo

2011-06-01T15:26:00.003+08:00

Real Madrid director Jorge Valdano Cristiano Ronaldo has described as "huge" and "heroic" after the destruction of records to hit its 40 La Liga goals against Almeria.

Ronaldo became the most prolific scorer in one season in La Liga which has exceeded Telmo Zarra and save Hugo Sanchez 38 goals a season in his team's 8-1 victory Saturday night.

Saw her corset record 39 goals and 40 in a brilliant campaign that the end merengue with 102 goals to their name, seven more than the champions Barcelona.

"Cristiano Ronaldo is an extraordinary player and his numbers are heroic. He is loved by all and his contribution to this team was very important," said Valdano club's official website.

"This match was a party atmosphere and the team seems to be a wide variety of scoring."

Questions hang over future Emmanuel Adebayor, despite the striker from Manchester City property-grabbing three goals in the drain Bernabeu.

"Adebayor has done excellent work during his stay. He provided important solutions, and today had a sensational performance," added Valdano.

Speaking on the club's transfers to date, which included the receipt of Nuri Sahin and Hamit Altintop, Valdano has suggested that there would be little change going forward.

"We have definitely improved since last season and should be goals for Real Madrid. Next season we will try to improve it, "he said.

"This match left the impression that this team does not need many changes. It 'was built and only requires a few modifications to be completed in a more cosmetic than substantial."

Real Madrid finished the season four points adrift of champions Barca.

Real Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo Exceeds Previous Best Single-season Goal

2011-05-09T11:26:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid striker Ronaldo broke his personal record for number of goals scored in one season.

most expensive player in the world has brought her voice to an astonishing 46 goals in 6-2 days fly from Seville in the Primera Division, where he found the target four times.

Ronaldo, who signed for Manchester United in the summer of 2009, offset 42 times for the Red Devils in the 2007-08 season, including 31 goals in the Premier League. His contribution to the campaign has enabled man to Sir Alex Ferguson to make a dual national and league when they also won the Champions League.

Although Ronaldo failed to win a championship in the first two seasons in the Spanish capital, their individual performances were exceptional. International, Portugal has proved to be a prolific scorer, matched only by Lionel Messi of Barcelona.

Last season, Ronaldo notch up 33 goals in 35 matches in all competitions in his first season in Spain, including 26 strikes in the league.

Under the guidance of Jose Mourinho's men this season, Ronaldo has become a clinical picture in front of the door, and only 33 goals in 29 league appearances and 46 in all competitions.

The Former Juventus Striker Gianluca Vialli And Chelsea: Cristiano Ronaldo Goes To Sleep "in Big Games, Stars Lionel Messi

2011-05-04T23:20:00.000+08:00

The former Italian international Gianluca Vialli believes the striker Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid to the poor performance in games, unlike his great rival Barcelona's Lionel Messi.

Vialli was a commentator for Sky Sport Italia during halftime to tie the two teams semifinal second leg of the Champions League at the Nou Camp. With the score goalless at the time of final game 2-0 in Madrid in the first leg at the Bernabeu last week, Ronaldo needed to strengthen his game

The former Juventus and Chelsea striker Vialli, who won the Champions League in 1996, the Italian giants have expressed their opinion on the performance of Ronaldo and Messi said: "Ronaldo is a great player, but when the team really needs to a knockout game great player, he did not do so he goes to bed .. this difference Ronaldo and Messi. "

Without referring to last week's meeting of two giants of Spanish and disappointing performance in the Portuguese international Ronaldo, 46, said: "Both the semi-finals, the last World Cup and the recent euro, the final in Rome in 2009 [between Manchester United and Barcelona], Ronaldo has not been done.

"He does not come in this area. Spain-Portugal [2010 World Cup], the country really needs him."

Real Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo From Barcelona To Get Tired Of The Referee's Decisions

2011-04-28T09:51:00.001+08:00

Real Madrid put in a good defensive performance against rivals Barcelona on Wednesday night, but the club finally conceded two goals in the final stages of the Champions League first leg semi-final after Pepe received his orders.

Complicated striker Cristiano Ronaldo did not like the arbitrator's decision to reject Pepe and stressed that this is not the first time that a decision is crucial for Barcelona.

'It's always the same with the [Barcelona]. This is the fourth consecutive season that something similar has happened. [Jose] Mourinho is right, just look at what has happened to Arsenal, Chelsea and Inter, "said Cristiano Ronaldo at the end of the game.

"They [Barcelona] is a great team, but also have a great influence both on and off the field."

Ronaldo admitted that Real Madrid did not play well, but added that things could have anyway if not for the red card for Pepe.

'It is true that we have not played well. But still scoreless when he was 11 against 11 and everything was still possible. You could paint. It' s time is very difficult for us anyway. "

Madrid will try to reverse its 2-0 defeat of the first battle where both sides meet again next Tuesday at Camp Nou.

Manchester United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson: Cristiano Ronaldo Is Better Than Lionel Messi

2011-04-28T09:38:00.001+08:00

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been awarded Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid over Barcelona striker Lionel Messi the best player in the world.

Both teams are to compete for the third time in two weeks, this time with a place in the Champions League final to be online.

And in the first leg played at the Bernabeu on Wednesday, the Scot added his thoughts directly to his former player as the best in the industry.

"Well, I had Ronaldo got here and I think he is the best player in the world," Ferguson told the club's official website.

"He can play with both feet, he has an amazing skill, strength and bravery, and it has a larger head the ball. But Messi is a fantastic player too.

"It is difficult to choose between the two is a coin.

"It depends on how you can see the player. The fact that Ronaldo has been here for so long, I know him. I saw how he has dedicated himself to training to become the best player in the world, and so that it is flawed because it is my player and person.

"But you look at the child and know that Messi is a serious player. He loves playing football. He is brave as a lion, because they always have the ball in any situation. They are different players, but no doubt both provide a final product amazing. "

Lionel Messi Barcelona Extends Lead Over Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo In The European Golden Boot

2011-04-26T17:13:00.000+08:00

Barcelona striker Lionel Messi at Osasuna started the match off the bench, but had been brought after the time and brought up again the equivalence of his 31 goals in La Liga this season.

Runner-up Cristiano Ronaldo also come off the bench at Real Madrid 6-3 to Valencia, but unlike its rival, the Portuguese international has been unable to find the net.

Antonio Di Natale, Udinese did not score when Edinson Cavani move to a common point, following his third spot kick changes the 2-1 defeat to Palermo.

Bayern Monaco, Mario Gomez has also taken the time to take the fifth Golden Shoe standings, but Dimitar Berbatov (Manchester United), and Moussa Sow (Lille), and failed to add their names to the scoresheet during the weekend and are common in the sixth.

Inter Samuel Eto'o returns to top 10 on the match-winner against Lazio on Saturday afternoon and is now made as many goals as striker Cisse Papiss Freiburg.

Former Rangers striker Kenny Miller can not find the net in his team's 2-1 home win and is ranked number 10.

Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo Is A Great Joy In Scoring Winning Goal In The Final Game Of The Copa Del Rey Defeat To Barcelona

2011-04-21T10:40:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid forward Ronaldo is happy with his game-winner against FC Barcelona in the final of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday night.

The Portugal international headed home a cross from Angel Di Maria left in extra time to win the match 1-0 at the Mestalla.

It was the first Spanish victory in Madrid Cup since 1993 and the first piece of silverware the club since 2008, and Ronaldo is pleased to have helped the cause.

"It 's a great pleasure to have won more, so I made a goal to win the Copa [del Rey]," enthused reporter Ronaldo after the match. "We have gone many years without winning a cup and we are very satisfied.

"It's a major trophy and we are enjoying it."

Ronaldo still praised his compatriot Jose Mourinho, who won his first race of the season as coach of the inaugural Madrid, Spain.

"Mourinho has been a very positive impact," said 26 year old. "He helped us and put us in a lot of positive energy, which shows [the field].

"Barcelona was a very good game, but this is how it goes. All the results, will win."

Ronaldo is a second chance to put one on top of Barcelona's nine-time European champions to take him to rivals for a place in the Champions League final. The semi-final first leg tie next week is the Bernabeu.

Cristiano Ronaldo To Real Madrid's Most Important Is Lionel Messi Of Barcelona - Roberto Carlos

2011-04-16T15:58:00.000+08:00

Former Brazilian international Roberto Carlos has stressed the importance of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid and said the Portuguese star is most important for his team of Lionel Messi of Barcelona.

"I really like the style of game booth. However, Ronaldo can not do much more than Madrid Messi in Barcelona. Madrid Ronaldo really depends on good results, but Barcelona is much more than Messi. The consequence, I think Ronaldo more crucial, "said Carlos Sport.

The veteran, who now plays in Russia Anzhi, continued to praise the style of Barcelona, but added that Madrid has made great progress this term.

"Barcelona play so it is really something special that you do not see much. They all seem very simple and looks really fun on the field.

"Madrid is also much improved, although this term. They're taking a lot of criticism, but reached the Champions League semi-finals and final of the Copa del Rey."

Saturday's match against Real Madrid and Barcelona Santiago Bernabeu Stadium starts at 22:00 CET.

Real Madrid Jose Mourinho: Cristiano Ronaldo To AC Milan Is Not Impossible, But It Would Take A Crazy Price

2011-04-15T10:58:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho believes no team in the world can afford Cristiano Ronaldo in light of AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi has declared an interest for the Portuguese international.

Bernabeu club signed Ronaldo for a world record sum of € 94 million to Manchester United in the summer of 2009 and was rewarded with a phenomenal 73 goals in 80 appearances.

Last week, Mourinho said he would leave the club if his compatriot was sold to Milan, but has since taken a more relaxed attitude to the situation.

"I'm not saying it was impossible because of the football you never know, and [AC Milan President Silvio] Berlusconi to bid crowds. But it's true madness, because Real Madrid will not sell Cristiano Ronaldo 'The Italy coach told Sky.

The former Chelsea manager has also spoken on the official website of the Real, with emphasis on how any move involving Ronaldo would be to club president Florentino Perez.

"He [Ronaldo] is an extraordinary player and I do not think anyone can not afford to pay for what it is worth it, but Florentino Perez has the last word here.

"Only the president can not stop Real Madrid, AC Milan tries to sign Cristiano Ronaldo."

Mourinho's comments will gather Saturday's highly anticipated Clásico, the first of four meetings in Barcelona in three weeks.

Kaka And Cristiano Ronaldo The White Basque Easily Passed Before El Clasico Next Week

2011-04-12T12:08:00.002+08:00

Jose Mourinho has decided to leave out Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso and Mesut Oezil, inter alia, that since El Clasico XI drawing up a timetable in the coming weeks and cost his team cruised to a 3-0 victory on Athletic Bilbao at San Mames on Saturday night.

Kaka, the beginning of each half penalty proved the difference between a lot of changes in the side Madrid and Athletic Bilbao.

Cristiano Ronaldo completed the line 70 minutes of his twenty-eighth goal of the season after his arrival in the second half of the mixture.

Athletic started the brighter of the two parties, but was unable to turn their dominance into the early lead, leaving Iker Casillas to the test.

Los Blancos was rewarded with 13 penalty minutes, when Angel Di Maria tried to stick to a through ball from Argentina were down Gorka Iraizoz give a penalty.

Kaká more with minimal noise and expert placed the ball beyond the goalkeeper to give Madrid the lead within fifteen minutes.

Los Leones reaffirmed their game plan, and Fernando Llorente has been to create opportunities to level. The Spanish striker was before the introduction of Pepe Carlos Gurpegi, whose effort was deflected to the position.

Real Madrid is limited to work at the counter, and when Kaka showed his class with a deep pass, Gonzalo Higuain found himself one on one. Argentina became fixed itself, but could not pull his forehand Iraizoz who had remained in place and to save his feet.

Iraizoz was called back when he met Maria Di 30 meters from their goal, but could not gift the ball to Higuain. The striker, however, does not show the same class as Dejan Stankovic, in his forty yard volley missed the target.

The Basques began to appear more immediacy to the door Casillas' Iker Munain effort was fumbled by the distance "before the officer leaves the risk of Raul Albiol.

Chances began to circulate that The White Angel Di Maria has tried audacious chip is located almost at the far post.

Athletic de Bilbao on the need to find some more before the break and came after a short break away when Gaizka Toquero shot and crossed Llorente. The ball fell forward Gurpegi burst, but his shot whistled past the upright.

The home side started the second half as they were before positivity. David Lopez, a substitute for the first time gave a precise free kick and Bilbao Llorente should be stabilized through the title, but it was straight to Casillas.

The Lions defeated their encouraging start to the half when Xabier Castillo Di Maria unnecessarily broke into the penalty area, giving away a second penalty.

Kaka is back to his role as penalty and has beaten his last Iraizoz doubled the advantage of Real Madrid and give them a break before the last half hour.

Toquero lost a good chance when a cross intended for Llorente was received at the far post but the striker could not find the target when put under pressure by Raul Albiol.

Llorente was guilty of missing a great opportunity not only went through to find a partner and No 9 was a free header. He got up, but has trouble Casillas.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored the third goal for his team after its introduction in the second half as he headed towards goal before cutting inside and firing an unstoppable lead in the opposite corner, after passing all the beautiful Barn.

Madrid looked to see played without some difficulty that Mourinho introduced Carvalho and Xabi Alonso to maintain their match fitness before their trip to England in midweek.

Llorente came close to scoring a consolation strike for his side but had to touch the attacker away from Carvalho to ensure that a clean copy to be held in Madrid.

Los Blancos Tottenham face the second stage of the Champions League quarter-finals, as they seek to reach the semi-finals for the first time in eight years.

Joaquin Caparros hopes his side recover quickly before the race until the end of the season. His side still feel confident of claiming a place in Europa League next season, as it represents the last tie against a team in the top eight in the league.

Real Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo Would Thrive In Milan

2011-04-09T16:26:00.000+08:00

This week, Milan chief Silvio Berlusconi has admitted that he is a fan of the Portuguese national team, and that is his desire to see him play the Devil.

Adding to this, Abate, expressed support for the idea of playing for 26-years old Italian and European champions and told La Gazzetta dello Sport:. "I think it would be great, I hope it happens, if I ever played with many phenomenal players here.

"If you had told me that I train with David Beckham, I would never have believed it."

Abate has been one of the most improved players for Milan this summer and won praise for his poster on the right flank.

Reflecting on his performance this season, the 24-year-old enthused: ".. I'm not thinking a lot about the national team in the league this time I think I have seven games in a dream."

Milan are currently three points clear at the top of the table in Serie A and travels to Florence to take on Fiorentina this weekend.

Milan, Silvio Berlusconi, Is "madly In Love" With Cristiano Ronaldo, But Bluffing Your Interest In Real Madrid Superstar

2011-04-09T15:45:00.000+08:00

Recent comments by Silvio Berlusconi saying that Milan could make a move for Real Madrid superstar Ronaldo is a clever smokescreen based on love of Italian Prime Minister for the player, a source close to the Rossoneri have told Goal.com .

President Diavoli boasted to his friends and relatives of the senators that his team could make a bid to sign the No. 7 spectacular Madrid in the summer. However, it would require a large sum of money before the increased rates of Portuguese, which cost € 94000000 Whites when he signed for Manchester United in 2009.

Goal.com s source said: "Milan do not have the financial resources to cope with a large movement of this kind in Ronaldo course if Berlusconi really wanted to do as he has the money but with numbers over € Milan. 100m could buy a whole new team, rather than spend on a player. Milán So I would not make sense to spend all this money on a player.

"One thing is sure, Berlusconi is madly in love with Ronaldo."

But the 26-year-old is unlikely to purchase such as Milan's transfer policy seems to be doing instead? Our source believes that Berlusconi's comments were intended as a clever ploy.

"He said something similar again in the summer when he wanted to make a big firm like Cristiano Ronaldo, but then Zlatan Ibrahimovic. I think it's just a pre-Battle of Milan to turn the spotlight on a player they know is impossible to obtain, and then work in the shadow of Ronaldo to another person.

"I think it is a great scene, it's almost a joke." Milan do not think about him. Is a form of fantasy football talk at the moment. Milanello The feeling is almost like a joke. "

Mr Berlusconi is not afraid to buy big names in the past. In 2008, he attracted Ronaldinho from Barcelona and go back to the club last summer to sign Ibrahimovic.

However, it is unlikely that Real Madrid will be a little less willing to part with their star man off 27 league goals this season. Their coach Jose Mourinho has responded to speculation about Ronaldo, saying that if his compatriot had sold it to leave the club.

Cristiano Ronaldo All Free Kick Goals Real Madrid Season 2009/2010/2011

2011-03-30T15:05:00.000+08:00

Cristiano Ronaldo Season 2011 Goals and Skills HD

2011-03-29T11:26:00.001+08:00

Real Madrid Ace Cristiano Ronaldo Out For Three Weeks With Hamstring Injury

2011-03-21T18:38:00.000+08:00

A hamstring injury will see Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo out for three weeks, the club confirmed in a statement on Sunday.

A statement on the club's official website reads:

"After a medical control and scan at the Sanitas hospital, Cristiano Ronaldo is suffering from a first-grade lesion to the hamstring in his left leg. The player will be out for three weeks."

The injury blow means Ronaldo will miss Portugal's friendly games against Chile and Finland. He is likely to miss Madrid's game against Sporting Gijon.

But, worryingly for coach Jose Mourinho, the former Manchester United man could find himself out of contention for the first-leg of their Champions League clash against Tottenham on April 5.

Source : Goal.com

Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain Return to the Real Madrid Training

2011-03-17T17:38:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has got a boost before Wednesday's Champions League game against Olympique Lyonnais and Cristiano Ronaldo Gonzalo Higuain trained with the rest of the first team on Valdebebas.

26-year-old Portuguese striker has been struggling with a hamstring injury and has lost its last two matches in La Liga, but gave every indication that today will be fit in time-of-16 second leg matches.

Argentine international has since been sidelined since late November and took another step in his recovery from sports hernia surgery in the calendar year at first.

Fernando Gago and Kaka are the only players not present for the workout, while Pedro Leon worked apart from the rest of the group.

The Real Madrid is looking for the last 16 to break the jinx tomorrow against Lyon in Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. They're all square going to the decider after a 1-1 draw in France last month.

Real Madrid's Jose Mourinho Confident Cristiano Ronaldo Will Play Against Olympique Lyonnais

2011-03-12T09:55:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has revealed he believes star player Cristiano Ronaldo will be a good match in time for Wednesday Champions League against Olympique Lyonnais.

The Portuguese international has been omitted from the score sheet for this weekend La Liga clash with Hercules, however, because of his continuing recovery from a thigh injury.

"The fight against Hercules are not the right time for him to return to game action. But I think it will be able to start against Olympique Lyonnais on Wednesday," Mourinho was quoted as saying during a press conference.

The former Inter Milan boss has continued to praise the German national Mesut Oezil.

"Mesut has made great progress and getting stronger every day. He joined us in the final days of preseason, but has adapted to his new environment very well.

"Our style of play suits his own as well, and played very well. We took the price we paid for him its not good quality. His capture was a lot."

Mourinho has also discussed the tactical plans of Madrid and stressed that it is not training you play, but a way to deal with tactical instructions to players.

"The training we use is not important. This is how you interpret tactical advice. Sometimes it is better to play with two strikers and sometimes it's better to play without a striker from Real. "

Madrid take Hercules on Saturday before hosting Lyon decider Wednesday after a 1-1 draw last 16 first leg clash in France.

Real Madrid 7-0 Malaga: Ronaldo Hat-Trick Hammers Boquerones On Manuel Pellegrini's Return

2011-03-04T09:46:00.000+08:00

Argentina vs Portugal [2-1] HD - Cristiano Ronaldo GOAL - 09/02/2011 Friendly

2011-02-10T12:33:00.001+08:00

Real Madrid Star Cristiano Ronaldo: I'm Not Jealous Of Lionel Messi

2011-01-26T17:27:00.001+08:00

Ronaldo Real Madrid said in an interview that he is not jealous of Barcelona Messi Golden Ball.

The Portuguese winger has spoken of his rivalry with Argentina in an interview published in the Italian La Gazzetta dello Sport, and found that although 23-year-old picked up his second successive World Player of the Year Award for his focus on winning the title of Los Blancos.

He explained:. "I'm not an obsession or a direct rivalry with him, it's the same thing I feel about other players, one thing is certain, I'll be the best of all.

"I feel no desire at all to Messi. My priority is to win the Spanish title and Champions League with Real Madrid and not the Ballon d'Or."

Ronaldo also said it would be difficult for his team to victory in the Primera División this season, only because of the Coherence Blaugrana.

He added: "It is difficult but not impossible The next Classic To be decisive, and will be a great challenge for us after the match in the Nou Camp in November ..

"This game has been forgotten and we will certainly learn a lesson. You'll see that next time we will be better prepared for Barcelona. It was a bad night for many of us. At least eight of the 11 gave a sub- average performance. "

Finally, it is CR7 said he would be happy to be coached by Jose Mourinho, until the end of his career, concluding: "I want to live for many years in Madrid and I can not say if I could be driven by him for the rest of my career, I will. I am happy to work with an ambitious person. "

Barcelona Defender Gerard Pique: I Know All The Tricks Of Cristiano Ronaldo

2011-01-15T10:35:00.000+08:00

Gerard Pique to Barcelona cap a naughty noted that knows all the tricks of Real Madrid stars Ronaldo of their time together at Manchester United.

The Spanish international was at Club Old Trafford and the Portuguese looked to develop the world-famous superstar he is today.

Speaking in an interview with Dutch magazine Voetbal, Pique, however, also had praise for the talented wing Blancos.

He said: "Now that he is at Real Madrid, I know all his tricks because he was my rival Every day in practice, but does not guarantee anything because I know he is a player very complete player

"They say he is arrogant, but I remember to be nice and fun. Yes, it is difficult for him to resist the ice, but it's a good guy."

Pique also complained that the national colleague Cesc Fabregas of Arsenal has been in the summer, saying: "Cesc situation, it is unfortunate that he did not come this summer, because it could bring a lot to this team."

Real Madrid Striker Cristiano Ronaldo: I Learn Something New Every Day, Jose Mourinho

2011-01-12T12:13:00.002+08:00

Real Madrid ace Cristiano Ronaldo has heaped praise on Jose Mourinho and insists he is the best coach in the world.

Mourinho won the FIFA Coach of the Year Monday night and Ronaldo believes there is nothing more than he deserves.

"Those who are most professional are those which are more successful in life," said RealmadridTV Portugal international. "It happens, as players and coaches, which is why I knew he would win. Any other result would have been unfair.

"I have no problem saying what I think. He has won three major titles. There was nobody more deserving. I'm very happy for him. Mourinho and his staff is very professional. I was surprised when I started working with them because I was motivated to work even harder.

"I always wanted to work with, not only because it is the best, but also because he is Portuguese and their success in the past. This dream came true and now hopefully he can win it all won with Inter, Porto and Chelsea and also with Real Madrid . If the coach wins, too. For this reason, we will work together.

"It is no coincidence that has won many titles in the last five or six years. I learned a lot in the short time we spent together.

"I learned something new every day. I feel more complete than ever and I keep learning, because Mourinho is one of the reasons for our success. I feel very comfortable working with him at Real Madrid."

Real Madrid 4-2 Villarreal: Cristiano Ronaldo's Hat-Trick Keeps Los Blancos Two Points Behind Barcelona

2011-01-10T23:21:00.001+08:00

A scintillating hat-trick from Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka's first goal of the season saw Real Madrid crush Villarreal 4-2 at the Bernabeu on Sunday evening to remain two points behind leaders Barcelona in the Spanish Primera Division.

Villarreal twice went ahead, first through Cani and then through Marco Ruben, but on both occasions Ronaldo equalised, and after putting los Blancos 3-1 up with a clinical finish on the turn created the chance for Kaka to score on his comeback match at the Bernabeu to round up what was a thoroughly entertaining game of football.

The tone of the clash was set right from the start as Santi Cazorla had the game's first shot towards goal after just two minutes.

The visitors continued to dominate the opening exchanges and went ahead in the seventh minute when Cani found the target from close range. In a typical Villarreal move, Cazorla picked out Rossi on the edge of the box who then released Cani and the former Zaragoza player slotted the ball home with a neat finish.

The Yellow Submarine's lead was ephemeral, though, as Ronaldo successfully converted Madrid's first real attack of the match. Karim Benzema released Mesut Oezil inside the Villarreal box on the right and the Germany international's cross was tapped in by Ronaldo from close range.

Los Blancos could have added a second almost immediately had Lassana Diarra's shot from distance been more accurate. Seconds later Marco Ruben's volley for the visitors went wide.

The 24-year-old made amends on 18 minutes when he found his way past Iker Casillas and put Villarreal 2-1 in front. Released by Bruno Soriano with an exquisite through-ball, Ruben drifted to the right side of Madrid's 18-yard box and lobbed his shot over Casillas into the net.

Thereafter Villarreal and Madrid each had a goal disallowed, Cazorla and Ronaldo's efforts being deemed offside by the officials.

Cazorla crafted a great chance for himself on 38 minutes when receiving the ball on the flank he skipped past three Madrid players and marched on to the edge of the D-box but was eventually dispossessed by centre-back Ricardo Carvalho.

Madrid took over proceedings from thereon and equalised in injury time. Left unmarked during a Xabi Alonso free-kick, Ronaldo headed in the sharply chiselled delivery from close range to make it 2-2 at the break.

That goal seemed to reinvigorate Madrid as they came out at full throttle at Villarreal. Ronaldo, Angel Di Maria and Benzema all asked questions of the visitors' defence in the opening minutes but it was the Portuguese ace who came the closest four minutes after the hour-mark when finding himself in an one-on-one situation with Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez, he took too much time on the ball and was forced to pass it back to Sergio Ramos, whose attempt was off-target.

Ronaldo atoned for his mistake 11 minutes from time when after Benzema's shot was blocked by Lopez and fell to him, he smashed it into the net while shooting on the turn.

The former Manchester United star then turned the provider as his brilliant cross from the left was shot home by Kaka in what was his first game at the Bernabeu since returning from injury.

The 4-2 victory means that Madrid remain a couple of points behind arch-rivals Barcelona in second as the race to win the championship gets more exciting.

Source : Goal.com

Getafe 2-3 Real Madrid: Cristiano Ronaldo Brace Powers Merengues Past City Rivals

2011-01-04T23:44:00.001+08:00

A Cristiano Ronaldo brace helped Real Madrid on their way to a 3-2 victory over Getafe at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez.

The Portuguese slammed home an eleventh minute penalty before Mesut Ozil doubled the lead eight minutes later. But Getafe pulled one back thanks to a Dani Parejo wonder goal, however Ronaldo got his second after a loss of concentration from goalkeeper Jordi Codina. Then Juan Albin smashed home from close range to set up a tense finish.

Jose Mourinho made some enforced changes at the back as Ricardo Carvalho and Pepe were both suspended. So Sergio Ramos moved into the centre of defence, partnering Raul Albiol, with Álvaro Arbeloa coming in on the right side.

There was no place for Kaka in the starting eleven but the Brazilian did manage a place on the substitutes bench.

Real Madrid started the game in dominant fashion with Ronaldo clearly in the mood as his early run into the box led to a big penalty shout, but replays showed the Portuguese had lost his footing.

Moments later Ronaldo saw a long range free kick fly just over, then an acrobatic overhead kick go wide of the goal. However, he was to get his goal not long after.

Angel Di Maria was allowed to dribble into the Getafe penalty area and as he went past Mane, the left back stupidly pulled him to the ground. The referee pointed to the spot immediately.

So, Ronaldo stepped up and smashed the penalty into Codina's right-hand corner.

It was two-nil not long after as Real Madrid continued to dominate the game, with Di Maria involved once more as he cut inside from the right before playing a delightful through ball to Ozil.

The German made no mistake and rounded Codina before slotting home at the near post.

Credit must go to Getafe who responded brilliantly as Pedro Ríos, Manu and Parejo started to cause the away side problems. Then after a sustained period of pressure they finally managed a breakthrough.

Parejo slalomed past Arbeloa and Diarra before letting fly past Casillas. It was just rewards for the home side.

From then on the Azulones dominated proceedings and were unlucky not to get an equaliser before half-time.

After the break it was more of the same from Getafe as they took the game to Los Merengues with Jaime Gavilán testing Casillas from range.

However, Real Madrid managed to get a third completely against the run of play after Karim Benzema pounced on a poor clearance by Codina before playing Ronaldo through for his second of the game.

Now playing exclusively on the counter attack, Real Madrid had a wonderful opportunity to wrap up the game when Di Maria was sent clear on goal, but he tried to play in Benzema but he fluffed the chance to shoot and Codina eventually gathered the ball.

The Frenchman was played through once more, but this time his shot smacked the post and went wide, much to the frustration of his manager.

But the moment everyone had been waiting for came on 75 minutes when Brazilian superstar Kaka was introduced by Mourinho to end to five months of injury problems.

Arbeloa was then sent off with ten minutes left for hand ball and three minutes later Getafe pulled a goal back thanks to substitute Albin after a Pedro Mosquera cross hit Marcelo directing the ball into the scorers path.

Despite applying plenty of pressure to Casillas' goal the home side could not find an equaliser and remain in seventh place. Real Madrid are also non-movers in second, two points behind leaders Barcelona.

Source : Goal.com

Cristiano Ronaldo Scores Hat-tricks Real Madrid vs Levante ( 8 - 0 )

2010-12-23T17:34:00.003+08:00

Real Madrid Goalkeeper Iker Casillas Denies Rift With Cristiano Ronaldo

2010-12-18T09:47:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas has once again denied rumours of a rift between him and Cristiano Ronaldo, and has accused the media of attempting to create a negative atmosphere around the club.

The legendary glovesman addressed the press today, and claimed that his relationship with the Portuguese international is as strong as ever.

"There are people who want to create controversy, and a bad atmosphere in the dressing room. The truth is the opposite. We get along very well.

"There is no rift or confrontation, quite the contrary. He is a great guy who is very jovial, and we are not people who like to cause problems in the dressing room. This is a healthy group."

Casillas added that he hoped his comments would put an end to the sniping and allow los Blancos to get on with the task of playing football.

"Behind closed doors there is a good atmosphere and good vibes. I do not say anything bad in the dressing room. We must turn the page, and forget about little things like this."

Source : Goal.com

Real Madrid Legend Alfredo Di Stefano Selects Cristiano Ronaldo Over Lionel Messi As The World's Best Player

2010-12-17T12:01:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid’s legendary figure Alfredo Di Stefano has chosen Cristiano Ronaldo over Lionel Messi, when asked which player he feels is the superior footballer.

The former Los Blancos genius was giving a lecture at an event in the capital yesterday evening, and when asked the questions as to which of the two superstars he preferred, he answered simply: “Messi or Cristiano,? For me Cristiano, because he is with us, at Real Madrid.”

He also went on to discuss his opinion of the quality of the current Madrid team, and what they are capable of achieving this season.

He continued: “We have a great team. We need stability, and some confidence, but I am very happy with the players we have. We do not need to sign anyone in the winter market. We have a phenomenal team.”

Singling out coach Jose Mourinho for individual praise, Di Stefano added: “He is a really good coach. The team has achieved safety, but also effectiveness.”

He also spoke of his dream of seeing the team win the European Cup for the tenth occasion in their history, concluding: “We must have moral, and think that we can win. We have very good players, of course we can win it."

Source : Goal.com

Real Madrid 2-0 Valencia: Cristiano Ronaldo Guides Los Blancos To Victory As David Albelda Sees Red

2010-12-06T20:29:00.001+08:00

Jose Mourinho's men managed to bounce back in style from their loss in El Clasico as they managed to overcome a spirited Valencia side 2-0 at the Bernabeu.

Los Blancos dominated the game for large parts against Los Che, who had David Albelda's sent off in the second half, and ultimately claimed the victory courtesy of two second half strikes by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Neither team dominated the match in the first minutes with most of the action commencing in midfield. Valencia were the first to seriously threaten to open the scoring in the 12th minute and it was ex-Real Madrid player Juan Mata who saw a dangerous shot parried by Iker Casillas, and moments later another ex-Blanco Roberto Soldado failed to power a volley past the goalkeeper under no pressure at all.

Mourinho's side slowly started to settle into the game and were beginning to grow in confidence. Sami Khedira was at the centre of the action in the 33rd minute as he burst into the penalty area, but was denied by Vicente Guaita in a one-on-one situation.

Just before half-time Ronaldo saw a clever backheel flick rebound off the left post, following a wonderful cross by Mesut Oezil, for what proved to be the last moment of interest for the first period.

Real Madrid went all guns blazing in the second half and were granted with two wonderful chances in the space of two minutes. First Ronaldo was denied by Guaita in the 47th minute and moments later substitute Angel Di Maria failed to lob the goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation.

Substitute Karim Benzema missed a glorious chance to break the deadlock around the hour mark after being released by Ronaldo as time was ticking away for Los Blancos. David Albelda was controversially sent off for a second yellow card after he allegedly handled the ball in the center of the pitch, putting Los Che in a very difficult position.

Real Madrid eventually got the goal they deserved in the 73rd minute and it was Ronaldo who delivered the blow as the Portuguese ace finished coolly from the left side of the box, following a through pass by Oezil.

Five minutes later, however, Soldado could have drawn the game level, but saw his low shot tipped around the post by Casillas. Los Blancos were defending valiantly, but were always waiting to hit the outnumbered Valencia on the break and so it happened. Ronaldo delivered the killer blow with a wonderful individual goal to ease the pressure on Madrid.

Mourinho's men managed to hold on to their lead and deservedly recorded a 2-0 win.

Following tonight's result Real Madrid are second in the standing with 35 points, two behind Barcelona, while Valencia are fifth with 25. Los Blancos' next league game is a visit to Real Zaragoza on December 12, while Valencia host Osasuna on the same day.

Lionel Messi And Cristiano Ronaldo To Face Off In February As Argentina Take On Portugal

2010-12-03T17:48:00.000+08:00

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will get another chance to prove who is the best player in the world, as the Barcelona and Real Madrid superstars line up against each other for the first time wearing their international jerseys.

The Argentine FA announced on their website that the Albiceleste and Portugal would play a friendly on February 9, 2011, in London's Emirates Stadium. The game will be the first encounter between the two countries since 1972, when Portugal defeated Argentina 3-1 in Brazil.

Aside from Portugal the AFA have also lined up matches against the United States and Costa Rica away from home. The Seleccion will be in Seattle on March 26, before flying to Central America for a game which will inaugurate Costa Rica's new national stadium three days later.

Source : Goal.com

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo: We Are Optimistic About Winning Against Barcelona At Camp Nou

2010-11-29T12:31:00.002+08:00

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo is in optimistic mood ahead of Monday night's clash with Barcelona in the Spanish Primera Division.

The first Clasico of the 2010-11 season takes centre-stage at Camp Nou tomorrow with Madrid a point ahead of their archrivals in pole position in the standings. Los Blancos have not yet suffered a defeat in any competition this season and Ronaldo is confident that they can maintain the record against Barca.

The Portugal international captain is also coy about the Clasico determining the championship race and has been quoted by Madrid's official website as saying, "The Clasico may be decisive, but we don't know yet. What's clear is that we intend to win the match.

"We know it is a very important game and we will be optimistic in our search for victory. We will know if it turns out to be decisive at the end of the season.

"There is much at stake for all of us. I'm just another player on this team. We all feel the responsibility of having to play a good game. I don't feel more pressure than the rest. I always want more, but my team-mates have the same thoughts and goals I have."

Madrid have lost the last four matches against Barcelona and in the corresponding fixture in 2009-10 went down 1-0. However, Ronaldo hopes for a change of fortunes on Monday.

"I hope the story changes this season," enthused the 25-year-old. "We haven't lost a single game yet, which is important because it makes us confident.

"We know it will be a difficult match, but we are proving to be a solid side. I feel confident and I hope we earn a good result."

He added, "It will only be natural for the Camp Nou crowd to greet our coach [Jose Mourinho] badly after what happened in the Champions League semifinals last year when he was at Inter.

"But we are not worried about it. We will concentrate hard and will not dwell on anything unrelated to the game itself."

Source : Goal.com

Real Madrid Star Cristiano Ronaldo Plays Down Importance Of El Clasico

2010-11-26T10:13:00.001+08:00

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo says that the clash with Barcelona at Camp Nou is just another match but insists that they will do their all to bag all three points.

Madrid are currently in pole position in the league standings, just a point ahead of their arch-rivals Barcelona heading into Monday's crunch clash.

Jose Mourinho's side are unbeaten in all competitions so far this season and defeated Ajax 4-0 in Amsterdam in the Champions League on Tuesday evening, and Ronaldo is confident that they can get a result in Barcelona.

"Although it's an important match for both teams, it's just another match," Ronaldo is quoted as saying by Madrid's official website. "We are one point ahead of them and it will be a tough road game, but I am confident we will earn a positive result. It's not a final. There are still many games to be played."

However, Ronaldo knows that Barcelona are a tough proposition in front of the Camp Nou faithful.

"They are a difficult team to beat. It's the same team as in recent years and they are especially strong at home. They have shown that they are right in the hunt with us for the league title.

"We are working hard and doing well. We know that we are in good shape, which is why it will be a good match."

The Portugal international then underlined the difference in styles between the two teams.

"We are two very different yet very similar teams. We are both good and in the hunt for the Liga title, but we play very different football.

"We try to reach the opponent's box quickly and to finish plays as soon as possible. We have our identity, we don't imitate anyone and we will continue doing what we are doing because we have obtained good results."

Ronaldo concluded by praising coach Jose Mourinho.

"It's a pleasure and an honour to work with an elite coach who has won it all. I hope Mourinho can use all his experience to bring many titles to Madrid. May the best team win the Clasico, and the best will be Madrid."

Source : Goal.com

Spain Coach Vicente Del Bosque: My Ballon D'Or Votes Went To Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo And Bastian Schweinsteiger

2010-11-24T09:56:00.000+08:00

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has stated that his Ballon d'Or votes went to Barcelona's Lionel Messi, Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Marca reports that the World Cup-winning boss has made his selections, since he is disqualified from voting for any of his La Furia Roja stars from South Africa, and he believes the Argentine, Portuguese and German to be most deserving of the award.

Del Bosque was also asked who he thought would emerge triumphant from Monday's El Clasico encounter at the Camp Nou, but he stated: “I will remain absolutely neutral, and will not be supporting either team, as it should not make a difference to the coach of the national team.”

The former Real Madrid tactician was attending the launch of the Malaga marathon, and he also passed comment on the recent struggled on the Boquerones, who recently appointed Chilean Manuel Pellegrini into the dugout.

He stated: “The previous work of [president] Fernando Sanz was with an austere policy because there was not much money. Pellegrini is a highly regarded coach, an elegant man who took on the responsibility of Real Madrid, which was not easy.”

Source : Goal.com

Real Madrid 5-1 Athletic Bilbao: Cristiano Ronaldo Bags A Hat-Trick As Los Leones Are Humbled

2010-11-21T18:01:00.001+08:00

Real Madrid reclaimed top spot in the Liga BBVA standings Saturday night as they picked up a hard-earned win against a spirited Athletic Bilbao at the Bernabeu.

Los Blancos stormed into the lead through Gonzalo Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo in the first half-an-hour and Fernando Llorente clawed one back for the visitors before the break. Los Leones fought vailiantly, but ultimately fell victims to a well-taken penalty by Sergio Ramos, a free-kick and spot-kick from Ronaldo in the second half as Jose Mourinho's men bagged the three points.

The visitors made a very good start to the game with Llorente actively involved in every attack. The Spanish international saw an effort cleared off the line only three minute into the game after a blistering run on the right side of the box.

It took some time, but Real Madrid started to grow into the game and were looking threatening in the final third. The go-ahead goal came in the 19th minute when Higuain slotted home with a fine finish, following some good work by Angel Di Maria.

Athletic tried to put Los Blancos under pressure with Llorente forcing Iker Casillas into a fine save in the 29th minute. Los Leones ultimately paid the price for their somewhat overly attacking approach moments later when Ronaldo doubled the hosts' lead after an excellent counter-attack.

In the 40th minute Llorente managed to halve Los Leones' deficit with a goal from point-blank range after a collective mistake by the home defence. Real Madrid entered half-time with a tender lead as the match was far from over.

The game's tempo somewhat dropped after the restart as both teams seemed unwilling to take any risks. Still, the Madrid were more comfortable on the ball and were superbly retaining possession in the early minutes of the game.

Ramos put the game to bed for the Los Blancos in the 57th minute from the spot after an arguably soft penalty for a foul on Di Maria by Markel Susaeta. Athletic started pumping bodies forward, but were unable to break Real Madrid's resilient defence.

Ronaldo put the icing on the cake with an audacious free-kick in the 62nd minute to complete his brace. The visitors had not given up yet as they tried to get back into the contest and nearly scored in the 85th minute when a Javi Martinez' shot rebounded off the bar.

In the 88th minute substitute Karim Benzema had the ball in the net, but it was ruled out for offside. Ronaldo, however, had more for Los Leones as he completed his hat-trick from the spot after a foul on substitute Esteban Granero in injury time.

Following tonight's result Real Madrid are first in the standing, while Athletic Bilbao sit in ninth place. Los Blancos' next league game is a visit to Barcelona on the 29th November, while Los Leones host Osasuna a day earlier.

Source : Goal.com

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo: My Goal Against Spain Was Legitimate

2010-11-19T12:18:00.001+08:00

Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo claims that his disallowed goal against Spain on Wednesday evening should have stood.

Portugal hammered their Iberian rivals 4-0 in an international friendly and it could have been worse had Ronaldo’s wonderful effort not been disallowed on 36 minutes because of offside infringement on team-mate Nani’s part (watch it here).

Speaking after the match, Ronaldo said that the goal should have been allowed and is quoted by Spanish sports daily Marca as saying, “I don’t know if it’s a coincidence or not, but the best goals in my career have been scored for the Seleccao and disallowed.

“I remember the game at the Estadio do Bessa where I scored a bicycle kick and it was disallowed.

“The goal was half a meter inside the net. I don’t understand why it wasn’t given. There are no words to explain it. Even a blind man could see it was a goal!”

He added, “The team deserved to be congratulated. We showed we have a good team. There are no miracles, it’s a question of doing simple things, simple process, with which the players feel comfortable. Paulo Bento and the players deserve merit.”

Nani apologized for his role and told RTP, “I touched the ball because it I didn’t think I was offside.

“I was running forward, the move was very fast. After thinking a while I apologized to Ronaldo; it was a brilliant play and I shouldn’t have spoiled it.”

Source : Goal.com

Portugal Star Cristiano Ronaldo Expects 'Beautiful' Football To Be On Display In Spain Friendly

2010-11-18T01:21:00.000+08:00

Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo is eagerly anticipating the high-profile international friendly against world champions Spain and believes the action on the pitch will match the electric atmosphere in the stands in Lisbon.

The Seleccao were dumped out of the World Cup by their Iberian neighbors in the round of 16 and the 25-year-old hopes to exercise some past demons on Wednesday.

“Spain are the current world champions and we are extremely excited about the encounter. We will face them in front of our own fans and I’m sure the stadium will be packed and the atmosphere will be beautiful," he said in an interview with TVE.

"I don’t think our loss to Spain in South Africa is a thorn on our side. In football you win and lose. We will go out and enjoy the match against the best team in the world."

The Real Madrid man concluded by giving a brief statement on the crunch clasico clash, which will be played on Monday November 29 at Camp Nou.

"The games against Barcelona are always at a different level."

Source : Goal.com

Cristiano Ronaldo: Win Over Sporting Was For Jose Mourinho

2010-11-16T11:49:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo dedicates win over Sporting to coach Jose Mourinho.

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has said that the narrow 1-0 win over Sporting at El Molinon was a tribute to boss Jose Mourinho.

The Portuguese was serving a touchline ban for his comments to the officials in the recent Copa del Rey win over Murcia.

His side looked to be struggling to a goalless draw before Gonzalo Higuain popped up in the closing moments to earn los Blancos the win, and speaking to journalists after the match, CR7 dedicated the points to his coach.

He stated: "We have shown that we can play football in difficult situations, we have quality. The match has been tight, there has been many stoppages, but the coach gave us instructions to go out and secure the victory.

"This victory is for Mourinho. He has not been on the bench, but we knew our orders. The goal came late, but it did eventually come."

Ronaldo also briefly spoke of the tactics of the home side, remarking: "They have kicked us and played anti-football, which is difficult to play against. But our attitude was good."

Source : Goal.com

Real Madrid Star Cristiano Ronaldo: Sometimes You Have To Be Creative

2010-11-09T12:03:00.000+08:00

Ronaldo’s back pass to Xabi Alonso is making the headlines.....

Real Madrid ace Cristiano Ronaldo has explained his back pass against Atletico Madrid in the city derby at the Bernabeu on Sunday evening was an act of invention on his part.

In the closing minutes of the match, Ronaldo took a cross-shot at the Atleti goal that David De Gea could only punch back to him. However, instead of controlling the ball with his feet, the Portugal international passed it towards Xabi Alonso with his back

Atletico players complained about it with Jose Antonio Reyes calling it an act of “provocation” and Alvaro Dominguez labelling it as “silliness”.

However, Ronaldo believes otherwise and posted this statement on his Twitter page, as reported by Spanish sports daily Marca, “Sometimes you have to be creative.”

Madrid defeated Atletico 2-0 to remain in pole position in the table.

Source : Goal.com
The Real Madrid forward trails only Lionel Messi at the top of the Castol Rankings.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Brilliant Back Pass (Real Madrid-Atletico Madrid)

2010-11-08T21:38:00.000+08:00

Cristiano Ronaldo: Real Madrid Must Learn Lessons From Milan Match

2010-11-05T13:23:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo believes that the team must learn from the mistakes they committed during the 2-2 draw with Milan on Wednesday evening.

Los Blancos took the lead early on through a neat Gonzalo Higuain goal, but the home side fought back thanks to a double from Pippo Inzaghi, before Pedro Leon’s injury-time equaliser ensured qualification from Champions League Group G for Jose Mourinho’s side.

Speaking to journalists after the thrilling encounter, the Portuguese international confessed that the team did not kill off the game in the first half, saying: “We must learn our lesson because this was a match that we controlled and we have let two points escape.

“However, the important thing is that we have qualified for the knockout matches, and now we must look to top the group.”

CR7 also briefly mentioned the performance of referee Howard Webb, who awarded Milan a 78th minute goal which appeared to be offside, but refused to criticise his performance in the match.

“He is one of the best referees in the world, and the truth is that there are lot of things that have gone wrong, but hey, in England he was the only referee that I liked.”

Source : Goal.com

Hercules 1-3 Real Madrid: Cristiano Ronaldo Brace Helps Los Blancos Stage Herculean Comeback

2010-10-31T07:44:00.001+08:00

Real Madrid came from behind to claim three important points in their quest for the title as they disposed of Hercules at the Estadio Jose Rico Perez. David Trezeguet opened the scoring in the first half, but Jose Mourinho's men responded with three unanswered goals from Angel Di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo (two) after the break as the match finished 3-1.

The game got off to a stunning start as David Trezeguet opened the scoring as early as the third minute after he headed past Iker Casillas, following a cross from David Cortes. Real Madrid, who suddenly found themselves in an unfamiliar situation, started throwing bodies forward in search of an equaliser.

Gonzalo Higuain was presented with a wonderful chance in the 24th minute, but was denied by an impressive save by Juan Calatayud. While Los Blancos were pushing up the field, Hercules were looking to exploit every opportunity to hit them on the break.

Moments later David Trezeguet spurned a glorious opportunity to make it two as he headed straight at Iker Casillas, following some good play by Olivier Thomert and David Cortes. There were a few half-chances for either side before the break, but neither managed to take them as the hosts entered half-time with a shock lead.

Real Madrid managed to claim the equaliser just seven minutes into the second half when Angel Di Maria pounced on a spilt ball in the box and finished superbly into the top left corner. The goal gave much needed impetus to Jose Mourinho's men and it was all Los Blancos from then on.

Ten minutes later Cristiano Ronaldo put a header from the centre of the box too high and around the 70-minute mark Sergio Ramos saw another header saved by Calatayud as Madrid were tightening the grip. The Portuguese ace was denied again by the 'keeper from distance with 13 minutes to go, but it was not long before the former Ballon d'Or winner got his goal.

Ronaldo bagged his first of the night in the 82nd minute when he coolly finished from just outside the six-yard box. Karim Benzema, who came on as a substitute, provided Cristiano Ronaldo with another glorious chance and he took it with aplomb to complete his brace.

The Portuguese ace had a chance to earn a hat-trick in the waning minutes of the game, but put his finish over the bar.

Following tonight's result Real Madrid remain top of La Liga, while Hercules are eleventh. Los Blancos' host Atletico Madrid in eight days, while Hercules visit Osasuna on the same day.

Source : Goal.com

Real Madrid Goal Hero Cristiano Ronaldo: I Am Delighted To Score Four For The First Time

2010-10-24T15:51:00.001+08:00

CR7 led Madrid to a thumping 6-1 win scoring four times against Racing but the attacker says the win was more important than his goals.

Cristiano Ronaldo was in blistering form for Real Madrid during their 6-1 romp over Racing Santander. The Portuguese winger was in jubilant mood grabbing four goals and almost snatching a fifth towards the end of the game.

"I am very happy because I have never scored four goals but today was just important for the team," CR7 told Marca after the game.

"This would not have been possible without my team-mates. I must congratulate the team. I am a team player. Some of my colleagues are even better than me.

"We should not be elated as the coach told us. There is still a long way to go in the league and today was important," concluded Ronaldo.

Source : Goal.com

Cristiano Ronaldo & Jose Mourinho Delighted With Real Madrid’s Performance Against Milan

2010-10-23T17:34:00.000+08:00

Cristiano Ronaldo believes Real Madrid have won the group already, claiming they have a 75 per cent chance of making it through after beating Milan 2-0 on Tuesday.

It was Ronaldo who set Madrid on their way when he turned in a free-kick. Mesut Oezil sealed the points a minute later.

That was that as Milan failed to recover from two massive blows in quick succession.

"We had to impose a strong pace from the start, playing with the concentration this kind of match deserves and we were able to win," Ronaldo told Marca.com.

"Nine points from nine, and we have 75 per cent chance of qualification."

Jose Mourinho believes Milan were stunned by his side's explosive start and once the bomb went off, the damage was too much to repair.

"I always expect difficult games. There are never any easy games. We started really well and were too fast for Milan. First goal and then a quick second, we could have won 3-0 as we had other great chances," he told Sky Sport Italia after the game.

"We deserved the three points, they are important for us. We have a young team and it was a great test against an experienced Milan side.

"We are always improving. The players always want to learn, win and work hard. This is important for me and the team. We are a real team."

Source : Goal.com

Real Madrid Two-Goal Hero Cristiano Ronaldo: I Knew The Goals Would Come

2010-10-18T21:32:00.001+08:00

Real Madrid attacker Cristiano Ronaldo was pleased with both his personal showing and the team's overall performance after his side's convincing 4-1 win in Malaga.

"I knew the goals would come and, most importantly, the team is performing well. It was a good game. I never said I was anxious, all that talk came from the press," he told La Sexta after the game.

Ronaldo also took the time to praise team-mate Mesut Oezil, who had another impressive game for Los Blancos.

"We are all very pleased with him - he is gaining in confidence with every game. We are also pleased with the other signings. [Sami] Khedira and Pedro Leon are good players."

Ronaldo's two goals helped Jose Mourinho's side back to the top of La Liga with 17 points attained from their seven games.

Source : Goal.com

Cristiano Ronaldo & Nani Praise Portugal Boss Paulo Bento After Denmark Win

2010-10-09T21:06:00.001+08:00

Portugal earned a vital 3-1 victory over Denmark in Porto on Friday evening, and Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani were both quick to point to the contribution of coach Paulo Bento for the victory.

Manchester United winger Nani struck twice in three minutes around the half hour mark, and though Ricardo Carvalho’s late own goal gave the Danes a sniff of a chance, Real Madrid club-mate Ronaldo secured the three points late on.

“I missed scoring,” ‘CR7’ said after the game, according to A Bola. “The team played well and deserved to win. We are all to be congratulated.

“Paulo Bento is the same coach with the same personality and character that I met at Sporting. Nothing has changed. The players are happy and it shows on the field.”

Nani echoed such comments, stating: “He strongly encouraged the players. I think this is a strong point of him. Paulo Bento has something for everyone.”

Portugal are suddenly second in Group H, though they train Norway by five points after just three games.

Source : Goal.com

Jose Mourinho: Cristiano Ronaldo Is Untouchable

2010-10-05T09:59:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has insisted star player Cristiano Ronaldo is “untouchable” and that there is no harder working player than the Portuguese.

CR7 has came under heavy criticism this season for his lack of finesse in front of goal, with los Blancos stumbling to 0-0 draws versus Mallorca and Levante so far in their league campaign.

However, speaking to journalist’s yesterday evening, the Portuguese coach defended his player, saying: “There are players who are untouchable. Cristiano is untouchable because he works as hard as anyone. In this time when we are trying to construct a team, there are fundamental principles, and he represents them all.

“The first is greed, the second and the third solidarity and discipline. Cristiano has all of these attributes. I am lucky that many players in the squad represent these, because if not, we would be dead.”

Mourinho also looked forward to facing Deportivo at the Santiago Bernabeu, adding: “The match on Sunday will be difficult for our players. Deportivo are not inferior to the teams who have seven or 10 points. Sooner or later they will start to rise up the league. It will be difficult to get the three points.”

Source : Goal.com

Cristiano Ronaldo Is An Excellent Team Player

2010-09-23T09:43:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira has showered praise on Cristiano Ronaldo and says that the Portuguese international is a team player.

"Cristiano Ronaldo is an excellent individualist player, but he is also an excellent team player," said Khedira, according to Madrid's official website. "He plays with the team. He will help us take many points."

The German international then reflected on the Blancos' 3-0 win over Espanyol at the Bernabeu on Tuesday evening.

"We deserved to win against Espanyol. We played an especially fast game in the second half. It wasn't a great performance on our part, but we deserved to win. We have great players."

"Jose Mourinho's style is clearly identifiable. He has a specific style, well-defined tactics and he is a disciplinarian with his men. He uses a solid defense and a very offensive attacking front.

"He gives opponents few chances to score. I am very happy with the role I play on this team."

Khedira concluded by stating the Merengues are focused solely on their upcoming match against Levante on Saturday and are not thinking about the Champions League clash with Auxerre next week.

"We are currently only thinking about Levante. We'll have time to think about the Champions League after the game."

Goal.com

Manchester United Readying Sensational Bid To Bring Real Madrid Star Cristiano Ronaldo Back To Old Trafford

2010-09-21T20:25:00.000+08:00

Manchester United are plotting to launch an astonishing bid to bring Real Madrid’s world record signing Cristiano Ronaldo back to English football, reports suggest.

Goal.com Spain comments that sources in the capital believe Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson wants to lure CR7 back to the venue where his career flourished under the legendary coach, with an audacious €100 million bid being readied.

Given the current financial constraints at the Premier League giants, coupled with the fact that Ronaldo’s buy-out clause is 10 times that of United’s supposed offer and los Blancos’ president Florentino Perez would never sell the player, it would seem that this particular deal is highly implausible.

However, recent speculation as to the source of the Portuguese international’s poor form for the capital club has led to rumours that the player may be unhappy with his current role in the team.

While Ronaldo is still finding his feet in the new season it is likely that rumours will continue to intensify until CR7 starts to find the target regularly after struggling in front of goal so far this campaign.

Source : Goal.com

Thunderous Cristiano Ronaldo Free Kick Gives Los Merengues A Hard Fought Victory At Anoeta

2010-09-21T15:27:00.000+08:00

A stunning effort from Angel Di Maria and a Cristiano Ronaldo free kick either side of Raul Tamudo's equalizer were enough to give Real Madrid all three points against a dogged Real Sociedad side.

The early momentum was of course made by Real Madrid, who had a number of opportunities through Angel Di Maria and Gonzalo Higuain, also a Cristiano Ronaldo free kick which flashed just wide.

Despite their dominance in possession during the opening period Los Merengues failed to create any clear cut chances. Ronaldo was restricted to only a couple of shots and Sami Khedira lashed one high over the bar.

As the half wore on Real Sociedad had the better moments. Antoine Griezmann had the first after a cross from the left found him unmarked in the box but he could only balloon his header over the bar. Then a few minutes later he was put through on goal by Raul Tamudo but the Frenchman's low finish missed the bottom right corner by mere inches.

With the game becoming more and more scrappy it was La Real who were having the best of it, as Madrid unleashed attack after attack, the Txuri-urdin defense held firm and helped launch a number of incisive counter attacks especially down the right as Marcelo seemed to have been pinpointed as the weak link in the Blancos defensive line.

Xabi Prieto was having plenty of the ball and was able to pepper the Madrid box though most of his deliveries were dealt with.

The best chance of the half fell to Tamudo who was odds for an easy tap in but at first it seemed he had fluffed his lines but replays showed Casillas managed a slight touch to divert the ball away from the Real hitman.

By this point Madrid were having to do more defending than getting forward, Ronaldo, Mesut Ozil and Higuain were almost anonymous going into the half time break.

It only took Madrid five minutes after the interval to grab the opening goal, Di Maria picked the ball up on the left then dribbled into the box before cutting in on his weaker right foot and curling an unstoppable shot over the outstretched hand of Claudio Bravo into the top corner.

Just as Madrid seemed in the comfort zone they gave away a free kick just outside the area and conceded the equalizer. Griezmann swung in the delivery for the completely unmarked Tamudo who tapped in from three yards, though he seemed to be in an offside position when the ball was hit.

Ronaldo, who cut a frustrated figure for most of the game, put his team back into the lead once more with a stunning free kick that took a wicked deflection of team-mate Pepe to wrong foot Real goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, who could only watch as the ball flew into the top corner.

Xavi Prieto almost snatched a point late on for the Basques as his curling effort shaved the crossbar with Casillas beaten. But the visitors should have had a third at the death as they opened up La Real with ease on numerous occasions in the final few minutes.

The result puts Los Merengues top of La Liga, if only for one evening as Valencia and Atletico Madrid are yet to play. Real Sociedad drop one place from fifth to sixth.

Source : Goal.com

Real Madrid Star Cristiano Ronaldo: We Can Win The Champions League

2010-09-14T12:48:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo is confident that the Merengues can win the Champions League this season.

Madrid begin their European adventure with a home game against Ajax on Wednesday and the Portugal ace says that he has a feeling that they will go far in the competition this time around.

"This club, as always, has the ambition to win the Champions League," Ronaldo is quoted as saying by Realmadrid.com. "I have a special feeling about this season. We can win, but we cannot put pressure on ourselves. We have all the necessary ingredients to win the competition, but we have to take one step at a time.

"We are happy with our game on Saturday [1-0 win over Osasuna]. Our goal was to win the match and take three points. We can play better and score more goals. I'm sure we'll do better, we'll grow more confident and we'll win.

"We are going to win this year. I have a feeling we will. I am ambitious and I want to win. [Jose] Mourinho is the best coach in the world and I'm sure we will win and create a spectacle.

"At times it isn't possible to play well and be spectacular. It's better for the fans to help us and motivate us to play well. Our supporters have fun when the team plays well and scores goals, but we can't thrill them with brilliance all the time.

"It is on occasion convenient for fans to thrill players as well. All of us at the stadium want what's best for Real Madrid and, together, we can make this a feared team at home."

"I'm sure Mourinho didn't just mean I alone had to be protected by referees. I'm sure he also meant other players, and not just those at Real Madrid. In general, people who create spectacles should be overprotected.

"I'm sure I will soon score again. Don't worry about it. We have to think exclusively about winning right now. This team is under construction; many of us had never played together before."

Source : Goal.com

Real Madrid Star Cristiano Ronaldo Targets Return To Action Against Ajax But Is Quiet On Future Of Portugal Coach Carlos Queiroz

2010-09-09T18:13:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo is confident he will return to fitness in time for los Merengues UEFA Champions League opener against Ajax next Wednesday at the Bernabeu.

The 25-year-old forward will miss this weekend's Primera Liga tie against Osasuna after picking up a knock on the opening day of the season against Mallorca. He also missed two Euro 2012 qualifiers for Portugal, which saw the Seleccao draw 4-4 at home against Cyprus prior to Tuesday night's defeat against Norway in Oslo.

"I just think about helping the team and believe I can be ready for the match against Ajax. I feel better and we will see how it evolves. I'm still not perfect but almost at 100 per cent. I will return as soon as possible and we'll see in a couple of days and if I can rejoin the group," he told a press conference.

Ronaldo was tight-lipped on the future of national team coach Carlos Queiroz, amid speculation that the coach who is currently serving a six month ban, may be replaced by former Spain trainer Luis Aragones.

"I'd prefer to pass by this subject. I'm not the right person to talk about it," he remarked.

Source : Goal.com

Real Madrid Coach Jose Mourinho Insists Cristiano Ronaldo Doesn't Dive

2010-09-02T11:49:00.001+08:00

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has insisted that star forward Cristiano Ronaldo is not a diver and also identified Group G opponents Milan as serious contenders for the UEFA Champions League this term.

Speaking at a UEFA coaches forum in Nyon, Switzerland, the self-proclaimed Special One suggested that honest players get less protection from match officials than those who simulate. Mourinho also credited Ronaldo's honesty to his time at Manchester United under the tutelage of Alex Ferguson.

"Cristiano is a player who does not have the culture of the swimming pool, he has no culture of simulation, he is a British-trained player, Ferguson trained," he insisted, as quoted by AS.

"In some cases, the simulators are given more protection, and those who are honest are often the losers. I'm not a hypocrite if I say that they [defenders] hit Cristiano very hard, and that the yellow cards do not arrive or are slow in coming."

On the Rossoneri, Mourinho declared that with the new arrivals the Serie A outfit have one of the best attacking lineups in world football, worthy of adding to their six European Cups.

"An attack with [Alexandre] Pato, [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, Robinho, and Ronaldinho is one of the strongest attacks in the world and they are candidates, certain candidates, to win the competition," he noted.

Source : Goal.com

Cristiano Ronaldo & Lassana Diarra Injured In Real Madrid's Scoreless Draw Against Mallorca

2010-09-01T11:59:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid duo Cristiano Ronaldo and Lassana Diarra have been reported as injured following their scoreless draw at Mallorca in their Primera Liga opener, according to los Merengues official website.

Ronaldo is understood to have suffered sever bruising to his right ankle and will have to undergo further examination on Monday, which could result in him being withdrawn from the Portugal squad for the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers against Cyprus and Norway.

Diarra could also be a worry for France after he suffered a hamstring strain on his right leg. He will also undergo tests at Madrid's training ground in Valdebebas on Monday to determine the full extent of the injury.

Source : Goal.com

Real Madrid Star Cristiano Ronaldo Wants To Wear Number 7 Shirt

2010-07-30T22:40:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed that he is keen on wearing the number 7 shirt that club legend Raul used to don.The 33-year-old Madrid icon left the Bernabeu earlier this week for an adventure in the German Bundesliga with Schalke. There have been whispers that Ronaldo, who wore the number 7 jersey at his former club Manchester United but wears number 9 at Real Madrid, will be given Raul's number, and now the Portuguese maestro himself has made it clear that he would love to wear it."I would like to have the number '7' shirt and I'm sure Raul would be happy if I had it because he knows how I am and how I think," the 25-year-old is quoted as saying by Realmadrid.com at a press conference following los Blancos' first training session in Los Angeles."Raul was always an important player to Real Madrid. He made the decision that best suited his interests. He is a great professional and I'm sure he will play at a very high level."Ronaldo is also very appreciative of new coach Jose Mourinho's approach during training sessions and believes the Merengues will be an offensive minded outfit."Mourinho is a winner. Real Madrid has attacking players, so we will be an offensive team. The priority right now is to get back in shape as soon as possible."The Portuguese international, who didn't perform to his potential at the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa, is eager to start the new season and is confident of succeeding in 2010-11."We are very excited and working very hard. We have to keep this level of excitement up in order to win titles."The former Ballon d'Or winner doesn't seem to be scared of bitter rivals Barcelona either."Barcelona were more regular than us last year, but we are not worried about what they may do this season. I'm sure we will have a better run this year."If I actually believed we couldn't defeat Barcelona, I would be home instead of here."All great players are welcome here and we will greet them the best way we know how. All the summer signings are very good," Ronaldo concluded.

Source : Goal.com

Real Madrid Coach Jose Mourinho Relishing Working Alongside Cristiano Ronaldo

2010-07-19T00:18:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has insisted that he will get the best out of mercurial star Cristiano Ronaldo this season. In an interview with Portuguese television channel TVI, the former Inter coach spoke of the challenge of accommodating CR9 into his team and how his efforts will be focused on applying a system that suits the strengths of the 25-year old.When asked in which position Ronaldo will be employed under his command, Mourinho commented: “For me, the challenge is to create a proper system where Ronaldo feels like a fish in water. “A team must be built so that their most important players are in a suitable habitat and can play to their best. A player like Cristiano Ronaldo cannot play in a tactical system that he does not like.”Mourinho also added that he has been informed that the flying attacker's work ethic is unparallelled, and is relishing the opportunity to work alongside him.He stated: “Real Madrid have told me that he is the first to arrive and the last to leave practice, no one works harder than him and no one cares more than him.“I have no doubt that he will be a great professional who just wants to win and be the best, so he will understand me very well.”

Source : Goal.com

Real Madrid And Portugal Star Cristiano Ronaldo Becomes A Father

2010-07-07T16:17:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid star and former Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has announced that he has become a father.The announcement came on Saturday night via his official Twitter account and Facebook page in which the 25-year-old stated that the newborn child will be under his "exclusive guardianship". However, the former Manchester United star didn't disclose the identity of the mother.The full statement on Ronaldo's official Facebook page reads:"It is with great joy and emotion that I inform I have recently become father to a baby boy. As agreed with the baby's mother, who prefers to have her identity kept confidential, my son will be under my exclusive guardianship."No further information will be provided on this subject and I request everyone to fully respect my right to privacy (and that of the child) at least on issues as personal as these are."Ronaldo has had a disappointing time with Portugal in South Africa, where his team lost 1-0 to Spain in the second round of the World Cup.

World Cup 2010: Cristiano Ronaldo Hits Out At Boss Carlos Queiroz After Spain Defeat

2010-06-30T09:35:00.000+08:00

Portugal have been denied entry into the 2010 World Cup quarter-finals after a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Spain, and Cristiano Ronaldo pointed the finger directly at Carlos Queiroz for the result.Ronaldo found himself on the fringes of the action throughout the match as he, too, was very discreet, in an encounter where the Seleccao never did much to impose their will on the game.After the match, Ronaldo refused to comment on the result, and told reporters to ask Queiroz for the reasons for the scoreline."How do I explain Portugal's elimination? Talk to Carlos Queiroz," Ronaldo told RTP as he stormed out of the mixed zone, without addressing any other reporters.-Goal.com

Portugal 7-0 North Korea: Cristiano Ronaldo Strikes In Seleccao Rout

2010-06-23T10:23:00.001+08:00

There was to be no repeat of the scare Portugal suffered at the hands of North Korea in the 1966 World Cup on Monday lunchtime, as the Seleccao moved past the Asian nation 7-0.For 45 minutes, the Chollima genuinely had their opponents worried, though they would fall behind to a fine Raul Meireles goal. When Simao struck a second, the floodgates quickly opened. Hugo Almeida and Tiago added goals as Portugal threatened with every attack. Liedson added the fifth with time running out, before Cristiano Ronaldo and Tiago also found the net.Having drawn confidence from their opening encounter against Brazil, North Korea played this encounter with a distinctly more optimistic flavour. The Asian side featured a more attacking setup, and that would allow them to be a very meaningful attacking threat in the first half.

Before the Koreans started to really exert serious pressure, they first had to withstand some worrying moments from the Portuguese. It took Cristiano Ronaldo only two minutes to fire a deflected shot at goal, before centre-back Ricardo Carvalho mustered a couple of very good efforts. The Chelsea man spun to shoot over from inside the box after an exciting break forward and then hammered a header against the post from a corner kick.North Korea were certainly not content to defence, attacking with intent for long periods. Cha Jong-Hyok was especially impressive, powering a spectacular shot narrowly wide of goal from fully 30 yards out before Jong Tae-Se couldn’t control a clever through ball off a skiddy wet surface. Hong Yong-Jo’s angled drive forced Eduardo into a diving block, and Portugal had a let-off when the ball dropped just too high for Pak Nam-Chol to direct into the net with his head.

The Seleccao, who were looking a little ragged at the back, were playing offensively only in bursts. After surviving a difficult period, Carlos Queiroz’s side enjoyed a few strikes from range before grabbing the opening goal somewhat against the run of play. Tiago, who was drafted into the starting XI after Portugal’s flat showing against Cote d’Ivoire, conceived a wonderful through pass to central midfield colleague Raul Meireles, who flashed a first time drive into the net. Ten minutes before the break, a Tiago cutback was inadequately dealt with by the Asians’ defence but Meireles couldn’t turn the ball into the net when it broke kindly to him.Ronaldo struggled to get into the match but a strong shot from the edge of the area three minutes prior to the interval reminded the fans he was still on the field.

Portugal were quickly onto the front foot after the break. Tiago had a shot turned over the top by Ri Myong-Guk, who didn’t cover himself in glory moments later by nearly spilling a routing Ronaldo drive to the feet of Almeida. At the other end, Jong Tae-Se had a low free kick easily saved by Eduardo.It was the Seleccao who were making much of the running, and Coentrao nearly rolled in Almeida, though the striker was well covered and couldn’t direct the near post centre into the net.Moments later, the Portuguese did have their second. Almeida and Meireles combined brilliantly on the edge of the box before a neat pass from the midfielder released Simao, who slipped a shot through the goalkeeper’s legs.Now rampant, it was soon 3-0 in favour of the Europeans. Coentrao made another impressive surge down the left hand side of the park and picked out a wonderful cross for Almeida to head high into the net. Before an hour was played, the Seleccao had added yet another. Again it was the left hand side of the park that Portugal exposed wonderfully. Ronaldo finally made a telling contribution to the game, breaking the offside trap down the channel before cutting a pass back to Tiago on the edge of the box. The midfielder side-footed home, though Ri Myong-Guk might have done more to repel the shot.

Another great Ronaldo cross picked out Meireles at the far post within a few minutes, but he blasted past the upright when well positioned ten yards from goal. Coentrao then dinked over after being released by the suddenly threatening Real Madrid star.On 70 minutes, finally the world got to see a trademark Ronaldo run and shot, but his swerving, dipping strike from well out flew over the goalkeeper but cracked the top of the crossbar.To the credit of the Chollima, they maintained an attacking stance, but this left them exposed at the back. After a flawless defensive performance against Brazil only a few days ago, their rearguard looked far shakier on this occasion, and when Ji Yun-Nam totally miss-kicked in his own box, substitute Liedson fired home with virtually his first touch.A combination of poor play from Pak Chol-Jin and some luck resulted in Ronaldo getting a lucky break to round the custodian and side-foot into an empty net with a couple of minutes remaining, before Tiago’s late header completed a rout that reflected somewhat unfairly on the North Koreas.Victory for Portugal ultimately came about easily, and such was the margin of their victory that it will take a monumental swing against the Seleccao on the final day of Group G action if they are to fail to make the last 16.

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo: World Cup Referees Should Provide Me With More Protection

2010-06-16T15:23:00.000+08:00

Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo believes that he is being targeted by the opponents and thinks that the referees at the World Cup should protect him more.The Real Madrid talisman was angry after receiving a yellow card for a bust-up with defender Guy Demel in Portugal’s goalless draw with Ivory Coast on Tuesday.Ronaldo was unhappy with the way that the referee let the Ivorians foul him without any punishment, stating that match officials should protect the best players on the field."Referees should protect the more skillful players when they are getting fouled by the opposition,” Ronaldo told The Sun. "One of their players fouled me in the first half and I got a yellow card for it. I don't understand it. When it is three against one, as it was with their players against me, it is not fair to book me. "Sometimes it is difficult for me when referees give fouls because they think I dive." Portugal manager Carlos Queiroz supported his star winger, stating that the referee make a poor decision when he booked Ronaldo."They don't protect talented footballers any more. “The Ivory Coast players made intimidating tackles. “Ronaldo was the victim of a bad decision."

World Cup 2010: Ruud Van Nistelrooy: Cristiano Ronaldo Will Have To Win The World Cup To Beat Lionel Messi

2010-06-14T23:26:00.002+08:00

Hamburger SV striker Ruud van Nistelrooy believes that Cristiano Ronaldo will only win the award for best player in the world over Lionel Messi if he lifts the World Cup with Portugal.

The diminutive Argentine is red hot favourite to lift the FIFA World Player of the Year award for a second time following Ronaldo's trophyless season at Real Madrid.

But Van Nistelrooy, who played alongside Ronaldo at Manchester United for three years, thinks that a successful campaign by Portugal in South Africa can see the Madrid star lift the prestigious award."They are two fantastic players. Cristiano Ronaldo is not favourite this season to win the award for best player in the world," he told Diario de Noticias.

"He has not conquered anything and Messi was champion in Spain. I believe that the title for best in the world could be defined at the World Cup."Cristiano Ronaldo will have to shine or win the World Cup to be the best again. Titles are very important in these things."

Van Nistelrooy, who is not part of Holland's 23-man squad in South Africa, did not include his own national side as favourites for the World Cup."Brazil, Spain, Argentina and Italy have the advantage. But I believe there could be surprises. It will be, for sure, a World Cup with great teams," he added.

Source : Goal.com

Cristiano Ronaldo Admits Real Madrid Suffered A 'Frustrating' Season

2010-05-31T00:35:00.000+08:00

CR9 commented as he prepared to travel to South Africa with his international teammates.

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has expressed his dissatisfaction that the club ended the 2009/10 season without any silverware, and admitted it had been a ‘frustrating’ debut season in Spain.Los Blancos were ousted from the Champions League by Lyon, pipped at the Primera Division post by Barcelona, and also handed a humiliating Copa del Rey exit by Segunda Division B outfit Alcorcon.Marca reports that Ronaldo, before setting off to South Africa with the Portugal squad, hopes that new coach Jose Mourinho can reverse the clubs’ fortunes.He said, “I hope to celebrate many victories next season. [Jose] Mourinho is a winner. This season I was frustrated and also very sad, but I predict that next season will be different.”The former Manchester United man also commented on his nation’s chances at the upcoming World Cup, stating that their first target should be to qualify from their group, which contains Brazil, Ivory Coast and North Korea.He added, “We need to win the first game to do well in the competition. We all know that it will not be easy, but we have everything we need to progress.“If we get out of our group, then 50% of our target will have been fulfilled.”

Source : Goal.com

Jose Mourinho Wants 'A Lot Of Goals' From Cristiano Ronaldo At Real Madrid

2010-05-26T11:51:00.001+08:00

Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho is looking forward to working with Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid.Mourinho’s agent Jorge Mendes is hammering out the final particulars of a four year, £36million deal with Real director Jorge Valdano on Monday.The ‘Special One’ is coming off of a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League final on Saturday, a win that gave Inter a historic Treble this season.However, the Portuguese boss is looking forward to working with Ronaldo, a fellow countryman, when he arrives at the Bernabeu.“We are both Portuguese, he is the best player in the world and I am one of the best coaches in the world,” Mourinho told the Daily Mail.'I want lots of goals from him next season.’When asked about Ronaldo’s lavish lifestyle off the pitch, Mourinho insisted that the former Manchester United star should not be disparaged because he is a great talent.“No-one can criticize him if, when he goes on his holidays, he is with Paris Hilton in LA or if he buys a new Ferrari because someone who trains and plays as he does is from another planet.“He is an historic footballer.”

Source : Goal.com

World Cup 2010: Portugal Captain Cristiano Ronaldo Confident Of Going Far In South Africa

2010-05-22T21:31:00.001+08:00

Real star says he's in great form going into the finals.

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has declared his side faces the toughest group at the forthcoming World Cup finals in South Africa, but he is confident they have what it takes to progress beyond the first round of the competition and possibly into the latter stages.The Real Madrid star has identified Portugal's opener against Ivory Coast on June 15 as a massive game and one where a win can put them in a strong position with the rest of the tournament in mind."I believe that the group that fell to Portugal is the most difficult. The first match with Ivory Coast, will be crucial. We have to win it because it's important to start with a win, but I have no doubt that we have chances to progress. It will not be easy, I repeat, but we can overcome the group stage," he told AS.

Ronaldo also said that Spain have to be considered favourites but added that he has no fears about playing the European champions in the knockout stages of the competition."We must respect Spain, it's enough to say that they are one of my favourites. In addition to Spain, I think Brazil, England, Argentina and Germany are the leading candidates."Playing Spain would mean we passed through the group stage, therefore, of course I would [like to play them]. It would be a one off game and then anything can happen. But the first obstacle is the Ivory Coast. If we win that game, we would have a 50 per cent chance of getting into the next phase."

Ronaldo added that his intention is to give his best in the tournament and noted that his side have an outside chance of going all the way in South Africa."We've never won it and that's why we are not favorites, but favorites do not always win. I will be in South Africa with that mentality. Of course I want to be at my best and have a great competition," he remarked."I will try to give the best of me, as I always do, both in Madrid and in the national team. I'm in a great form, but I don't do miracles. The important thing is not me, if the team is fine, we can go far and that is the mentality we will have at the World Cup."

Source : Goal.com

Ronaldo Says He Cannot Perform Miracles For Portugal

2010-05-22T11:24:00.001+08:00

Portugal need more than Cristiano Ronaldo in top form if they are to succeed at the World Cup in South Africa next month, the Real Madrid player said on Friday.

"I don't play alone, and I can't perform miracles," Ronaldo told reporters as he arrived at the squad's World Cup training camp, having travelled by helicopter to the mountain city of Covilha in north-eastern Portugal from Lisbon.

"We have to be well collectively. To win the World Cup, the team has to have seven or eight players in very good form. Even with just two or three it is difficult."

Portugal players and coaches have been keen to reject the notion that the side's prospects depend too much on Ronaldo especially after Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho said on Thursday the team did not have a chance of lifting the trophy "even with Ronaldo playing at 1,000 (kilometres) an hour".

"I respect his opinion, but things aren't quite like that. This side has much quality... it's not just Ronaldo, we have several top-level players who can make the difference," said right back Miguel.

Ronaldo, the world's most expensive player following his 80 million pounds ($115 million) move from Manchester United to Real last year, said he had not paid attention to Mourinho's comments.

"I've been on vacation for the last five days, resting, and I switched off from everything. I didn't keep up with that controversy.

"The only thing I have to say to Mourinho is to wish him good luck for Saturday (for Inter Milan's Champions League final against Bayern Munich)," he added.

The forward, who did not score in Portugal's qualifiers, slammed critics who have said his performances for the national team are not as good as those for Real Madrid.

"The people who say that don't understand anything about football," he said.
Portugal will play two friendlies at Covilha, against Cape Verde on Monday and Cameroon on June 1, before flying to South Africa four days later.

They are drawn in Group G along with Brazil, Ivory Coast and North Korea for the June 11 to July 11 finals.

(Editing by Alison Wildey; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Real Madrid's Raul: Cristiano Ronaldo Is A True Leader

2010-05-07T09:39:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid veteran Raul has heaped praise on Cristiano Ronaldo for his attitude and professionalism."It would be boring if everyone were equal,” Raul said, according to AS.“He is one of the best professionals I've seen. He’s a winner, someone who does not want to miss a game. He says what he thinks, but he also has a mindset that is focused on the collective.”Ronaldo has enjoyed a fantastic first season in La Liga since his world-record breaking €94 million move from Manchester United last summer and smashed in a hat-trick last night as Real Madrid beat Mallorca 4-1 to keep the pressure on Barcelona at the top of La Liga.Raul went on to reveal how impressed he has been with the former FIFA World Player of the Year’s professionalism and heralded him as a leader.“He is the first to arrive and the last leave training. I see him and say to myself, ‘I have to train harder'. He’s a wonderful guy, a total leader.”

Real Madrid's Manuel Pellegrini Praises Cristiano Ronaldo After Mallorca Hat-trick

2010-05-06T10:37:00.002+08:00

Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini was full of praise for talismanic forward Cristiano Ronaldo after he bagged a hat-trick in a stunning display against Mallorca at the ONO Stadi.Pellegrini also asked how would title rivals Barcelona have coped without the presence of Lionel Messi for two months, as Madrid did without Ronaldo earlier this season.Ronaldo equalized in the first half after Aritz Aduriz had given the Barralets the lead and added two more after the break before gonzalo Higuain rounded off proceedings with a delightful lob.The 4-1 victory puts los Merengues back within one point of leaders Barcelona with just two games remaining and Pellegrini praised the ability of his side to win games without the Portuguese star."Cristiano is a major figure in this Real Madrid side and we spent two months without him. Nevertheless, we made a team and without him the other players still won games. I would have liked to have seen Barcelona go two months without [Lionel] Messi," he said, as quoted by AS.

Source : Goal.com

Mallorca 1-4 Real Madrid: Cristiano Ronaldo Treble Guides Los Blancos To Vital Victory

2010-05-06T10:31:00.002+08:00

Real Madrid produced a scintillating second-half performance to crush Mallorca 4-1 and close the gap on league leaders Barcelona to just a single point with two La Liga matches remaining.

Aritz Aduriz gave the Islanders a shock lead, but Cristiano Ronaldo responded in kind with a blistering hat-trick before Gonzalo Higuain added gloss to the scoreline, and Manuel Pellegrini's side ensured that they remain in hot pursuit of the champions.

For los Blancos, the task was simple, as it has been since they were defeated in El Clasico a month ago; win in any way possible to maintain the pressure on Barcelona going into the penultimate fixture of the season.

But Mallorca, against all odds, remain a serious Champions League qualification contender, but knew that Sevilla’s thumping 5-1 win in Santander against hapless Racing left them a point behind the Andalucians going into the home stretch.

Therefore, it was all to play for at the Estadio Son Moix, and it was the Islanders who landed a dream start by affronting their illustrious visitors after 15 minutes of play.A raking corner was met on the volley at the back post by Victor, and his drilled effort fell perfectly to striker Aritz Aduriz, who powered his header through the legs of Iker Casillas and into the net.

Real Madrid were stunned into action. Barcelona were waiting in the wings to celebrate any slip up, but Cristiano Ronaldo in particular seemed intent that there would be no celebrations in Catalonia. Gonzalo Higuain missed a decent chance, his effort saved by Dudu Aouate, before 'CR9' once again came to the fore. A cross-field pass from Sergio Ramos in the right-back position caught the Islanders’ defenders napping, and Ronaldo reached the ball before Aouate to loop it into the roof of the net.Madrid were back on level terms, but it represented far from one way traffic from the capital club, and indeed they had to Casillas to thank for reaching half-time on level terms.

The Spanish international shot-stopper was in sensational form, denying Aduriz on two separate occasions before pulling off the save of the match to deny the hugely impressive Borja Valero from close range.Indeed, on-loan West Bromich Albion playmaker Valero was the stand-out performer of the half, orchestrating proceedings from the trequartista position behind Aduriz, and for spells of the first half Madrid simply could not get to grips with the man they once let leave the club for free.

Once again, Ronaldo was at the heart of everything, and was everywhere. He harried defenders, ran at full-backs, played incisive passes and crucially was the clinical finisher that Madrid have desperately needed.After just failing to find Higuain with a low cross, on 56 minutes the Portuguese international once again proved why Madrid were justified to spend extravagantly to secure his services.

It was Ramos who delivered a similar long pass to stretch the Mallorca back-line, and Ronaldo controlled on his chest before poking past Aouate and into the corner. His celebration symbolized his determination for the cause, and his desire to lift silverware in his debut season in Spain.At 2-1 though, Mallorca had a glimmer of hope to get back into the match, a fact that Ronaldo was all too aware – so he put the game to bed by rounding off a sumptuous hat-trick.

Ronaldo charged down Antonio Nunes’ attempted clearance, and showed supreme composure to roll the ball sweetly past Aouate, sealing the points.Ronaldo had, almost singlehandedly, transformed what appeared to be a precarious situation into a comfortable three points, and coach Manuel Pellegrini could only look on and be thankful that he could call on his majestic talent.The match descended into a procession after Ronaldo’s third, with Pellegrini bringing on Mahamadou Diarra to bolster his midfield and ensure that the now demoralized Mallorca could not spring a surprise comeback.

But there was still time to provide the icing on the cake, delivered by Gonzalo Higuain. The Argentine was not at his best this evening, but he moved on to Guti's through pass and delivered a delicious chip over Aouate, who turned to watch the ball nestle in the corner of his goal. It was a beautiful finish, and provided the perfect bookmark to an inspiring half of football from los Blancos.Mallorca looked jaded, Madrid vibrant, and this Saturday's fixtures could prove to be the pivotal weekend of the season for both of these clubs.

Source : Goal.com

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo: The Entire Team Was Very Bad Against Osasuna

2010-05-03T21:06:00.002+08:00

The €94 million man had scathing comments for everyone on the pitch in last night's narrow win over Osasuna, including himself. In post-match comments reported by Marca, Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo labelled his team's performance in last night's narrow win over Osasuna as "very bad".Despite winning the match, scoring two goals including the winner, Ronaldo was very critical of his team. "In my opinion, the entire team was very bad. I speak of the forwards, midfielders and the back line. We cannot permit Osasuna to score goals and cause us so much trouble. We have to understand that we are fighting for La Liga and we need to be more focused. This cannot happen again because on another occasion we will not be able to come back. We have the hope that we can succeed."If you give up points at this stage in the season, you lose the title. Thank God we were able to score the third goal and win the match. We have to keep winning. Barcelona have a great team, but great teams also lose. We have to think it possible for them to give up points and we have to win. The best thing that came from last night's match was the three points."Madrid midfielder Fernado Gago echoed Ronaldo's comments. "We have to try to win without suffering so much," said Gago. "At the end of the season every match is a final and we are playing for the title. We have to keep fighting and win three out of three. Today they failed and we were able to score the third. For what is left, we have to keep fighting."

Source : Goal.com

Cristiano Ronaldo Would Love To See Fabio Capello Appointed At Real Madrid

2010-04-18T17:24:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted he would love to see England coach Fabio Capello return to the Spanish capital for a third coaching stint.However, the former Manchester United winger has also confessed that he doesn’t expect former team-mate Wayne Rooney to be playing alongside him next season."I am still friends with Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic at Manchester United," Ronaldo told the News of the World. "I think Rooney is very happy in Manchester and even if Real Madrid tried to sign him, I don't think he would want to join me here." But when asked if he would like to play under the Three Lions chief, Ronaldo declared: "Definitely. "He is a very important coach, one of the best in the world, he has done a fantastic job in England and has won many titles in Italy so why not? You never know." Having endured a largely unsuccessful season under current coach Manuel Pellegrini, it is expected that the Chilean chief will be shown the exit door this summer.Early elimination from both the Champions League and the Spanish Cup, while playing catch-up to rivals Barcelona in the league has been deemed unacceptable.Having already had two stints in charge at the Bernabeu, winning La Liga on both occasions, speculation of Capello’s return will be sure to put the FA on alert after this summer’s World Cup.Ronaldo was also asked whether he missed playing for the Red Devils and performing in front of a packed Old Trafford."Manchester United are a fantastic club and I won many things there," he added. "But now I play for Real Madrid, the best club in the world and I want to win just like I did in Manchester. "I am really happy to be here. And without me, Manchester United are doing very good things."

Source : Goal.com

Cristiano Ronaldo Amazing Goal - Almeria vs Real Madrid 15.04.10

2010-04-16T11:06:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid Have Sold Over A Million Cristiano Ronaldo Shirts

2010-04-15T09:38:00.001+08:00

Revenues from CR9 shirts sales have reaped over €100 million in revenues, with over a million shirts sold in the city of Madrid alone, reports Portuguese publication A Bola. The offical Real Madrid store in the Bernabeu and the small outfit in the Plaza del Sol are flooded by thousands of fans daily, both Spaniards and visitors from every corner of the world, and those Madridistas regularly buy the shirt of their favourite player. Cristiano Ronaldo's shirt has been the top seller and, if the figures are accurate, Los Blancos have already sold €100 million worth of shirts - and that is just in the first year of his contract.Madrid have seen names like Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and David Beckham printed on their shirts, but according to Madrid officials, Cristiano Ronaldo's name is like nothing they have ever seen in terms of sale revenues. It must be noted however that these revenues do not represent actual profits, as a large amount goes to covering heavy costs of production. Any remaining profits are split amongst Real Madrid, their kit manufacturer Adidas, and Cristiano Ronaldo himself.The economic model pursued by club president Florentino Perez continues to reap huge financial benefits for the capital side. Real Madrid own roughly 50% of Ronaldo's image rights, which allows them to benefit greatly from his lucrative sponsorship deals with Nike, Castrol, and others.

Source : Goal.com

Cristiano Ronaldo Confident Real Madrid Can Pip Barcelona To La Liga Crown

2010-04-06T11:31:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has declared that he is confident los Merengues will claim the Primera Liga title and acknowledged that while the elimination from this year's UEFA Champions League hurt, the team must accept responsibility for the quarter final exit. The defeat to Lyon ensured that Madrid crashed out of the competition they have won nine times at the first knockout hurdle for the sixth season in succession. That left them with just the Spanish title to fight for but the Portuguese is aiming to win all their remaining games to claim the title."I am confident we will win the league. We have eight games, eight finals and we will try to win them all. It is difficult but we will try," he is quoted as saying by AS."The elimination from the Champions League hurt a lot, when I watch the matches I get very angry because we have the team to be there and it's our own fault we are not."The 25-year-old also said that he loves being Cristiano Ronaldo but stated that life is not easy and media falsehoods are a price he has to suffer in fame."I love it. I always go with my head held high, I have a winning mentality and always look forward, life is not easy," he noted."It's the price of fame, there are many lies said about me."

Real Madrid Star Cristiano Ronaldo Aiming To Maintain Winning Momentum After Atletico Madrid Win

2010-03-29T21:11:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo declared that los Merengues must beat Barcelona and win all of the rest of their games to claim the league title after they defeated Atletico Madrid 3-2 at the Bernabeu.Three goals in 15 second half minutes completed a rapid comeback for Madrid having trailed 1-0 at the break and although Diego Forlan converted a penalty, Madrid went on to win more comfortably than the score line suggested."We played very well and created many chances. We played with a great character and I'm happy," Ronaldo said afterwards, according to AS.
"With the attitude we have we can beat anybody, but we can't afford to go behind, if we score first it is hard to beat us."Many people think it [the Barcelona tie] will be key, but let's see, we have to beat Barcelona and win the rest of our games. You have to be consistent, because we have an obligation to do well at home."

Source : Goal.com

Cristiano Ronaldo Vs Lyon Home By RealMadridCR9

2010-03-14T16:13:00.001+08:00

Sir Alex Ferguson: Cristiano Ronaldo Coming Back To Manchester United Not Out Of The Question

2010-03-14T14:36:00.001+08:00

Sir Alex Ferguson believes that the door is not closed for a possible return to Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo, who was transferred to Real Madrid in the summer window for a record £80million.

Real Madrid crashed in the Round of 16 of the Champions League for the sixth consecutive season when they lost out to Lyon 2-1 on aggregate, and there is a lot of pressure from the Spanish press to see the Real Madrid player live up to their transfer price tags.

Ferguson is aware that playing for the Spanish giants is a lot more difficult than playing for Manchester United.

“Cristiano knows the value of Manchester United. That’s the thing. What the players have got here is protection. They come to training every day and there is nobody here to disturb them," he told The Sunday Express.

“I don’t think Real Madrid is an easy club to play for. There is a circus attached to it. There are often loads of fans and an intensive media always filming them.”

Even though the Portuguese winger has only been in Madrid for a little under a year, Ferguson will not rule out Ronaldo returning to Old Trafford in the future.

“You would like to think that one day he will come back, but you never know. I don’t think he will stay at Real Madrid for life or anything like that.

“There will be other challenges and he is that type of player who welcomes them.”

Source : Goal.com

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo: The Pichichi Doesn't Mean Anything To Me; I Want La Liga

2010-03-03T09:33:00.000+08:00

As the Portuguese national team prepare to face China, Spanish sports daily AS managed to secure an interview with Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, who gave some comments about his time at the Bernabeu. With respect to the Liga race, Ronaldo was adamant. "We are going to win La Liga. Watching the last few matches in La Liga, we are playing better than Barcelona, but they are still first so we have to respect them. Right now we have to think about ourselves and continue doing things well. We are confident in our chances of winning the title."Commenting on El Clasico, to be held in mid-April, Ronaldo talked up the match as one of the most important of the season. "The match against Barcelona in our stadum could be a key encounter. But we are not thinking about that match now. We go match by match, trying to improve every day."When asked about the number of goals he has scored in La Liga and his chances of winning the Pichichi, Ronaldo played down such individual awards. "The Pichichi means nothing to me. What I want is to win collective titles at Real Madrid."With respect to some of the criticism levied at his team-mate Kaka, Ronaldo could not understand the source of such harsh remarks. "He is a great person and a great professional. He is working hard to do well at Madrid. He has overcome his hernia injury and I am sure that in very little time we will see the best of Kaka."Finally, Ronaldo expressed the importance of Portugal's friendly match against China. "We must focus against China, a team that is in many ways similar to North Korea, who we will be facing in the World Cup."

Source : Goal.com

Cristiano Ronaldo Confident That Real Madrid Will Eliminate Lyon

2010-02-23T11:32:00.001+08:00

Following last night’s emphatic second-half demolition of Villarreal at the Bernabeu, Cristiano Ronaldo expressed his delight with the manor of his side’s victory and ensured los Blancos fans that they would overcome Lyon and progress to the Champions League quarter-finals. "The important thing about tonight's match is that we won and that the fans had fun,” he told RealMadrid.com. “We are all happy about it. We had to respond and we did. This victory will help us gain confidence. I'm sure we will defeat Lyon."The match in Lyon belongs in the past. These things happen and we need to learn from them. We responded well. We played a good game tonight and we shouldn't think about what happened in France. We all win and lose together on this team."The former Manchester United man also spoke fondly of his partnership with Argentinian forward Gonzalo Higuain, admitting 'Pipito's' strike was very easy on the eye."I pulled off a nice play with Higuain that he managed to finish off beautifully. Real Madrid always try to play like that.”Finally, the Portuguese again expressed his deepest sympathies following the tragic events in Madeira, pledging to lend his help and support to the flood victims."Madeira is where I grew up and where all my family is. I am worried. I couldn't believe it when I watched it on TV. I wish to help any way I can."

Source : Goal.com

'Madeira': Cristiano Ronaldo Dedicates Goal To Disaster-Stricken Homeland

2010-02-22T17:37:00.002+08:00

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo put his team ahead against Villarreal on Sunday evening with a trademark free-kick before commemorating the recent loss of life in Madeira with a message on his t-shirt.
The former Manchester United winger was born in Funchal, which has recently been hit by massive mudslides and flooding, claiming more than 40 lives so far.
Following his netting from a direct free-kick at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday night, Ronaldo pulled up his Madrid jersey to reveal a t-shirt on which was simply written 'MADEIRA'.
Hundreds have been left homeless in the wake of the Madeira disaster, which was brought on by recent stormy weather on the south side of the Portuguese island.
Ronaldo previously pledged to support his home city of Funchal and the island as a whole by offering to help with relief efforts.
His message at the Bernabeu came on an emotional evening that also saw legendary forward Luis Molowny remembered with a minute's silence.

Source : Goal.com

Cristiano Ronaldo Insists Real Madrid Can Win La Liga

2010-02-13T16:26:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has insisted that Los Merengues can pip Barcelona to the Primera Division title and declared that he is excited about returning to action.The Portuguese winger sat out Madrid's last two league encounters after a red card in the win over Malaga but returns to the fray today as Madrid face Andalusian strugglers Xerez."My team-mates did a great job and played very well. With me or without me, Madrid can always win. I am confident that we will win the league. I hope we can continue the [winning] streak because the Champions League is back and it would be good to face Lyon after winning at Xerez," he is quoted as saying by AS."The sending off annoyed me but it's gone and I come back with great desire. I think it was an injustice but he important thing is that it's done and I am happy about my return. I feel like a little child."

Source : Goal.com

Inter And Barcelona Were Also In The Race To Sign Cristiano Ronaldo - Former Real Madrid President Ramon Calderon

2010-02-10T12:20:00.000+08:00

Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has revealed that both Inter and Barcelona also showed interest in signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United last summer.The Portuguese star moved to the Santiago Bernabeu and became the most expensive transfer in football history when los Blancos paid approximately €94 million for his services."Cristiano came to an agreement with Manchester United for a transfer to Real on December 8, 2008. During last summer there was no negotiation, everything was already concluded," he said to in an interview with Eurosport.The 58-year-old went on to explain that it was the player who eventually made the final decision to honour his previous agreement with the Spanish giants."The player accepted a clause of €30 million in case the transfer failed, but Inter and Barcelona also entered the race," he continued."The Red Devils were willing to resolve that clause for those two clubs and not sell to Real. Everyone knows there is not a good relationship between the two clubs [Manchester United and Real Madrid]."However, the situation was eventually resolved by Cristiano himself, who remained faithful to [his deal with] Real Madrid."Calderon resigned as president in early 2009, after allegations of vote-rigging and was eventually replaced by Florentino Perez.

Source : Goal.com

Cristiano Ronaldo Hit With Two-Match Ban

2010-01-27T16:37:00.000+08:00

Meeting this morning to discuss the red card shown to Real Madrid's Crisitiano Ronaldo in Los Blancos' weekend fixture against Malaga, La Liga's Competition Committee has decided to suspend the €94 million man for two matches, as reported by Marca.Madrid have decided to appeal the ruling in a bid to have the punishment reduced to one match. The Appeals Committee meets on Thursday and will make a final decision at that time. In the initial ruling the Competition Committee did not classify the player's action as 'aggressive', which would have carried a ban of at least three matches.

Source: Goal.com

I Am Not In A Rut, The Goals Will Come - Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo

2010-01-22T07:04:00.000+08:00

Speaking to the press before Real Madrid's friendly match against Albanian side Gramozi Erseke in Albania today, Cristiano Ronaldo spoke of his goal drought in 2010, after having finished 2009 in hot form. The Portuguese winger denied being worried about his inability to find the back of the net in Madrid's past three matches in comments reported by Marca."I am not worried, things like this come naturally because I continue to work in the same way. I am not in a rut and the goals will surely come," said CR9, who has not scored since Madrid demolished Zaragoza by 6-0 in the Santiago Bernabeu before the Christmas break.

Source : Goal.com

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

2009-12-31T11:49:00.001+08:00

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

2009-12-23T09:55:00.000+08:00

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

2009-12-20T16:58:00.000+08:00

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

2009-12-07T22:07:00.000+08:00

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

Cristiano Ronaldo Returns In Rudimentary Merengues Victory

2009-11-26T14:40:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid coasted past Swiss side Zurich thanks to a solitary first half goal from Gonzalo Higuain. The game will be noted more for the return of Cristiano Ronaldo than the footballing performance as the winger returned after an eight week lay-off. Ronaldo almost grabbed all the plaudits with a stoppage time effort but his strike was well saved by Johnny Leoni in the Zurich goal.The hosts started with real intent with Xabi Alonso and Kaka dictating the play and Zurich appeared to stand off them at times looking to contain Madrid before hitting them on the counterattack. Higuain seemed to find space at will and after a couple of sighters on Johnny Leoni's goal it seemed certain that the goal would come sooner rather than later.The goal came at the 20 minute mark as the Argentinian evaded very slack marking from the Zurich defence, latching onto a tremendous through ball from Kaka and skipping into the box before beating the hapless Leoni at his near post.Minutes later Alonso stung the palms of Leoni before Marcelo unleashed a stunning volley against the foot of the upright. Madrid were completely dominant and any hopes the visitors had of surprising them on the counter seemed highly unlikely with a tame Alexandre Alphonse effort from distance never troubling Champions League centurion Iker Casillas in the Madrid goal.Silvan Aegerter and Alphonse each had half chances to test Casillas after the break, however both lacked the composure necessary to muster a meaningful strike on goal.Bernard Challandes half-time team talk appeared to be having the desired affect as his team played with a far greater intensity in the second 45, not allowing Madrid's players time on the ball and closing them down at every opportunity.Ronaldo's introduction for the final 20 minutes turned the otherwise hushed atmosphere at the Bernabeu up a couple of decibels and the Swiss resolve seemed to buckle at the very sight of the Portuguese winger as Marcelo crept to the byline and almost fashioned a near post goal for Higuain but it was blocked for a corner by Hannu Tihinen.In the closing stages it was the Swiss that finished as the stronger side with a flurry of set pieces delivered into the Blancos box but the Madrid back line dealt comfortably with the threat and seemed content to run down the clock and take a single goal victory and another step towards the knockout stages.The insurance goal nearly came in the dying minutes, firstly with Rafael Van der Vaart opting to shoot and firing over the advancing Leoni with Higuain better placed to roll the ball into an empty net before Ronaldo almost grabbed the headlines only to be denied by a fine save from Leoni from eight yards out.Higuain's first half strike was enough however as Real take a step closer to the next round while Zurich are condemned to last place in Group C.Paul Madden, Goal.com

Real Madrid Star Ronaldo To Play 30 Minutes Against Zurich

2009-11-25T14:41:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid talisman Cristiano Ronaldo is set to play half an hour against Zurich in the UEFA Champions League tie on Wednesday night, and is expected to play half of Sunday's top of the table Primera Liga encounter against Barcelona, according to AS.The Portuguese winger has missed the last ten games for Los Merengues as a result of an ankle injury he picked up in Madrid's second group game of this season's Champions League against Marseille at the Bernabeu. His injury was aggravated on international duty with Portugal, extending his period on the sidelines and Madrid will be keen to ensure that he doesn't suffer a further relapse, and are understood to be preparing a phased return with Ronaldo not expected to play the full 90 minutes in the upcoming games.Prior to Ronaldo's injury Madrid won seven games on the bounce, scoring over three goals per game on average but in his absence they won just five games and averaged less than two goals per game. Despite these startling statistics, Los Blancos are adamant they do not depend entirely on the 24-year-old.Real will be looking for a positive result against the Swiss outfit to secure their place in the knockout stages of the competition they are aiming to win for a tenth time this season.

Paul Madden, Goal.com

Cristiano Ronaldo Will Resume Training With Real Madrid On Friday

2009-11-18T10:53:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid fans can breathe a little easier after the club announced that Cristiano Ronaldo's comeback from his ankle injury is on track.Los Blancos announced via their official website that 'CR9' was thoroughly examined by their medical staff and Dutch doctor Niek van Dijk on Tuesday, and all parties are happy that the player can resume training by the end of the week."After being observed throughout the day by Real Madrid's Medical Services and Dr. Van Dijk, as well as undergoing a clinical examination that included x-rays, it was decided that Cristiano Ronaldo should continue his recovery protocol until the final pre-established date which is next Friday, at which point he can resume group training."Given his lack of fitness, it is highly unlikely that he will be risked by Manuel Pellegrini against Racing Santander this weekend.However, he could feature against FC Zurich in next week's Champions League tie as he looks to gain match practice before the trip to the Camp Nou to face Barcelona in 'el Clasico' in 10 days time.

Anthony Wright, Goal.com

Figo: Cristiano Ronaldo Will Become A Real Madrid Legend

2009-11-12T15:46:00.001+08:00

Luis Figo thinks that Cristiano Ronaldo will become a Real Madrid favourite because of his ability, but recognised that individually he will be affected by the success of the team.With Los Merengues struggling without their Portugal star, his compatriot has stated that he will return from his latest injury and become a club great.After joining Madrid in 2000, Figo helped them to win league titles and the European Cup and thinks that Ronaldo can do the same."Cristiano will succeed at Real Madrid. He is a fantastic footballer with unique characteristics," he told reporters in Italy."Obviously, to achieve more triumphs and to have greater prestige, it will depend on the success of the team."Despite announcing his retirement from football at the end of last season Figo still receives interest from clubs trying to tempt him back."As for my retirement, I still receive offers from different parts of the world such as Australia, the Middle East and the United States, but for now I have other priorities," he added.

Lucas Brown, Goal.com

C Ronaldo "Frustrated" By Exclusion From Portugal Squad For Play-Offs

2009-11-11T11:13:00.001+08:00

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed his frustration and disappointment at missing out on Portugal's World Cup play-off against Bosnia due to an ankle injury.The national team captain returned to Madrid swiftly after being examined by Portuguese team medics who finally agreed with the diagnosis from Madrid medical staff which ruled him out of action for at least ten more days.Now Ronaldo says he is "sad" and "frustrated" and will have to be content with cheering his team-mates on from the stands, confirming that he will attend the game in Lisbon. He also says he has "no doubt" Portugal can qualify without him."It's a huge frustration that I cannot help Portugal, and more so in a moment no less decisive than this play-off against Bosnia," he told AS."Nobody at this point, feels more sad than me, because to represent the Portuguese never stopped being one of the greatest moments of pride I feel as a professional footballer and as a citizen but now I have no alternative but to encourage my team from the outside."I'll be at the stadium to support my team-mates. I am sure that keeping the spirit that we have witnessed, with unity, humility and solidarity, we will impose the quality of our football.. In the end I will be with the team to celebrate the first of two steps that define our qualification for the World Cup. I have no doubt that we will be there."

Paul Madden, Goal.com

Portugal Expect Cristiano Ronaldo To Report To Training

2009-11-10T13:20:00.000+08:00

The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) have released a statement which requires all Spanish-based players, including Real Madrid star and Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo, to report for international duty at their training facility in Obidos this coming Wednesday.Despite Real sending documentation to the Portuguese outlining the extent of Ronaldo's injury it appears the Portuguese officials seem determined to assess Ronaldo's fitness for themselves as they aim to overcome Bosnia in a two-legged World Cup play-off.Coach Carlos Queiroz has already stated that he would include Ronaldo in the 23-man squad even if he could only play "a few minutes" of either leg, most likely the second leg in Zenica on November 18."Players who will arrive next Wednesday will be subject to medical tests that will determine their physical condition and ability to remain in the squad," the statement read, according to AS.The notice from the Portuguese federation makes no specific mention of Ronaldo but the statement also read that the results of physical examinations performed on players this Wednesday will be released in a "timely" manner.

Paul Madden, Goal.com

Casillas: Cristiano Ronaldo Is Concerned By Injury

2009-11-07T17:02:00.000+08:00

Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas says his Portuguese team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo is concerned by his current ankle injury which has kept him out of first team action with Los Merengues for the last seven games. Ronaldo does not require surgery on his troublesome ankle according to the club but is still no nearer a return to first team action."Cristiano is concerned because he thought he would recover this week and could play some minutes against Alcorcon [in the Copa del Rey second leg]," Casillas told Marca."We hope now that he improves as we need to see him back with us and scoring goals again."Besides the absence of the Portugal captain, the 'keeper believes his side are in good shape going into their derby showdown with Atletico Madrid on Saturday."The team is working well, is new and we must take a little longer to integrate. It is normal for the fans to demand things, it is their right, but we must remain calm. It will be a derby with two teams in different situations. We're not complacent. We want the three points," he declared.

Paul Madden, Goal.com

Real Madrid Star Cristiano Ronaldo Cannot Begin Training Yet

2009-11-05T12:43:00.000+08:00

Reports on Wednesday suggested that Cristiano Ronaldo was in with a chance of playing for los Blancos in Saturday's Madrid derby.However, Real Madrid have announced that Ronaldo is no closer to a return to first team action and must continue treatment until further scans show that his ankle has fully healed.A statement on the club's official website read:"After examining the evolution of Cristiano Ronaldo's injury today, it was determined that there has been no clinical improvement of the bone edema in the center of his right ankle."The player cannot, therefore, begin training and must continue treatment and relief work until another examination is carried out."Ronaldo's recuperation from a sprained ankle has been complicated by the continuing presence of a bone edema on the talus bone in his right foot. He will now travel to Amsterdam in order to continue his recovery program with ankle specialist Dr. Niek van Dijk.

Anthony Wright, Goal.com

Ferguson Bet On Cristiano Ronaldo To Top Real Madrid Charts

2009-09-28T16:55:00.002+08:00

Sir Alex Ferguson has been impressed with Cristiano Ronaldo's start to his new career with Real Madrid and revealed that he always felt he could be the top goalscorer at the club.

The Manchester United manager had no doubts that the player he groomed to be one of the world's best would be a success after his €94 million move to the Spanish capital.

Ronaldo'searly goal against Villarreal in midweek took his tally to five and he is the joint top goalscorer along with David Villa and Barça duo Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Lionel Messi.

With two more in the opening Champions League game the Portuguese star has made an impressive start and his former boss admitted he always thought that would be the case.

Ferguson explained that he had placed a crafty bet with bookmakers that Ronaldo would top the scoring charts and he is confident he will be paid.

"I saw his goal on Wednesday, what a goal. He has done well to get seven goals right away," he told the Mail on Sunday.

"He's started very well. They play 38 league games, European games, Spanish Cup, so you never know."

Lucas Brown, Goal.com

Cristiano Ronaldo: I Knew Goals Would Come

2009-09-16T23:38:00.000+08:00

After bagging two free-kicks against FC Zurich in Real Madrid's 5-2 victory in the UEFA Champions League, star midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo insisted that he "knew the goals would come".

The Portuguese star has been criticized for not replicating his Manchester United form in a white shirt, but has still scored four goals in three competitive outings for Los Blancos, with three of them coming directly from set pieces. Ronaldo insists that winning is the important thing for his side.

"The most important thing was to win the first game and start well in Europe and we have achieved this. The team worked very well and I am happy with the result," Ronaldo said afterwards to AS.

Ronaldo scored two 25-yard free-kick, one in each half as Madrid took all three points in Zurich but he admits that there was a laps in concentration from Los Merengues in the second half.

"We entered a phase in the second half that we cannot repeat in the future," Ronaldo declared before playing down the favorites tag.

"People say we are favorites to win the Champions League but we must remember to take it step by step," he said.

Paul Madden, Goal.com