Cristiano Ronaldo made a strong impression during his brief appearance on stage at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai on Friday.
Ronaldo spoke after being named the best player in the Middle East and immediately created controversy by claiming that the Saudi Pro League, in which he currently plays with Al-Nassr, was superior to the French Ligue 1.
“The Saudi league is better than Ligue 1, of course,” Ronaldo said. “Try sprinting at 38, 39 or 40 degrees, and you’ll see. France only has PSG. The rest is finished.”
The iconic Manchester United player and five-time Ballon d’Or winner also backed his former club by defending their new coach, Ruben Amorim, saying “the storm will end” after the latter’s difficult start to the Premier League.
Amorim, hired after the departure of Erik ten Hag, lost five of his first ten matches with United in all competitions. Heading into the mid-way point of the Premier League season, the team find themselves in 14th place, eight points outside the relegation zone.
“(Amorim) did a fantastic job in Portugal with my (former) club Sporting,” commented Ronaldo, 39. “But the Premier League is a different beast, it’s the most competitive league in the world.”
“I knew it would be difficult and that they would continue to weather the storm. But the storm will end and the sun will rise,” he added.
Ronaldo’s second spell at United ended in November 2022, due to disagreements with Ten Hag.
“I said it a year and a half ago and I say it again, the problem does not come from the coaches,” Ronaldo insisted. “It’s like in an aquarium: if you have a sick fish in there and you take it out to treat it, if you put it back in the tank it will be sick again.”
Meanwhile, Real Madrid’s all-time top scorer Ronaldo said Vinicius Júnior deserved to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or rather than Spanish midfielder Rodri. The Brazilian was also rewarded as the best player in the world during the ceremony in Dubai. Earlier this month, Vinicius was also voted best male player in “The Best” awarded by FIFA.
“Vinicius deserves the Ballon d’Or,” Ronaldo said. “It was unfair that he didn’t get it. I say it in front of everyone.”
Takeaways
- Cristiano Ronaldo has made bold claims about the superiority of the Saudi Pro League compared to Ligue 1.
- He defends his former coach Ruben Amorim in the face of the difficulties encountered at Manchester United.
- Ronaldo addresses the subject of the storm within the club, while remaining optimistic about the team’s future.
- He highlights the importance of context and environments in the success of coaches.
- Ronaldo’s support for Vinicius Júnior highlights issues of individual recognition in the world of football.
In short, this exchange highlights the complex dynamics of modern football, where the opinions of influential players like Ronaldo can spark important debates. The question that arises here is to what extent the context of a player or coach can influence their performance and recognition, a subject which deserves to be further explored in the world of football.
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- Source : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/cristiano-ronaldo-backs-vinicius-jr-ballon-dor-says-saudi-pro-league-better-than-ligue-1
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