Juventus, Ronaldo: 'I don't think I'll be a coach, I have no defects, I'm the best in Serie A'
- Apollo Heyes
“Cristiano or CR7? It doesn't change, at home they call me Ronaldo. At school they called me Cristiano, in the football world they call me Ronny, Chris. Only the fans call me CR7.”
The 34-year-old Portuguese forward touched on his CR7 brand.
“My world is football, but the world outside football is important to me too. I've become a businessman, it's normal when you start to do something different, outside of football, they see you in a different way. Of course, it's a good thing, but I don't really care that much. The most important thing for me is still football...”
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United star then spoke about the personal Cristiano.
“There's only one Cristiano for me, I don't think there’s a difference. As I said before, they are separate things, but united. I'm a football player, I like it when people look at me and say ‘Cristiano is this'. I like the way I am.”
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner suggested that his Juventus teammates are the strongest defenders in Serie A.
“Bonucci, Chiellini and De Ligt, the ones I train with are the strongest.”
He appreciated more about Italy than just the food.
“Not just the food, I like Italian culture.”
Ronaldo touched on the differences between playing in the league and in the Champions League.
“It's completely different, even mentally. The Champions League is the best competition in the world, apart from World Cup and European Championships. I love it. I like them both, but the Champions League is special.”
The Portuguese forward thought that he is still the best player in the league this season.
“You know, I won the award for best player in the league. For now, me, next year, I don't know. It's nice, but I have to say there are a lot of good players. It's a great honour, I hope to win it next year too.”
He highlighted how happy he was to play for Juventus.
“I like everything about Juve, they have a good culture, they’re the best club in Italy. They have an extraordinary history, I'm happy to be here, I want to win many trophies with Juve. I remember my presentation at the stadium, it was good. I was with my family, it was nice and special...”
Ronaldo touched on how it feels to get older whilst being a footballer.
“At 18, all you think about is having fun. You have no responsibilities. Not now, now you have to have great performances and win trophies. I still feel good, happy, motivated. I'm happy, I'm motivated, I want to play many more years...”
The 34-year-old highlighted a positive and negative about himself.
“I'm very smart. Defects? I have no defects. I'm always professional.”
The player couldn’t pick out one favourite from all the managers he’s had in his career.
“It wouldn't be fair if I mentioned just one, they've all been special and taught me something.”
Ronaldo couldn’t see himself working as a coach in the future.
“I don't think so, right now I’ll say no, I don't see myself as coach. But never say never.”
The Juventus forward talked about Euro 2016, which he won with Portugal.
“It was the most important trophy of my career. I laughed, I cried, I coached, I got drunk after the game. I had a glass of champagne and I was a little drunk. That day was special.”
He spoke about his famous overhead kick against Juventus with Real Madrid at the Allianz Stadium.
“Best goal I ever scored. The standing ovation in the stadium? Special. It was the quarterfinals, Buffon was there, in a good stadium, a great team. It was a very special night. When I talked to Buffon, I thought I was looking at a good, nice, cheerful person. After the goal he just congratulated me, it was nice. I remember him well, he's always ready to help others, a nice person...”
CR7 touched on his first Scudetto victory with the Bianconeri.
“At the stadium with me was my mom, a special moment. When we won the Scudetto, I became the first footballer in history to win three different championships. A trophy is still a trophy. It doesn't matter whether it's the Champions League, Serie A or the Nations League. I love winning trophies.”
Finally, Ronaldo gave some closing thoughts.
“I still have fun, that's what I like to do. If you don't have fun and you don't love what you do, it's hard. Sure, there are ups and downs, but I consider myself a happy person...”
For more news, visit our homepage!