Former referee Jonas Eriksson Y Cristiano Ronaldo They had a very particular relationship during the time when the two met on the soccer fields. The Swedish collegiate has memories found with the Portuguese, ranging from exquisite education with him to resentment because of an expulsion.
“I didn’t know it was his first game. I suspected it was because I remember so many other players from his generation. I remember that game, above all, because it was the first time that I whistled outside of Sweden ”, Eriksson recalls about Cristiano’s first international match, when he was still playing with the Portuguese Under-15 team. “It was already a excellent player, and that I saw many talented youngsters play, with excellent skills, although most do not succeed. Cristiano did it in a tremendous way, he is unique, and he showed his quality throughout his career ”.
The Swede was also in charge of whistling the match of Cristiano Ronaldo’s first hat-trick in Champions League. “It is a privilege to have followed his career since his first international game and, apparently, his first goal, but it’s funny because I also refereed him in 2012, in the Champions League, and after the game, he had the ball in my hand, and he addressed me: ‘Please, Mr. Eriksson, can I keep the ball?’”. The referee fondly remembers that education of the Portuguese. “Me I thought, ‘he will have scored so many hat-tricks’, but no, it was the first in the ChampionsSo I said, ‘sure, here’s the ball.’
However, things were not always so correct between the two. For example, Eriksson perfectly remembers the Cristieno was sent off for the first time, at the 2002 U-17 European Championship. “I remember it perfectly, because I have a very good memory. I got him two yellow cards, one in each part, and I remember he was very frustrated. Then he fired the ball when I whistled and got his second yellow. I was very upset, because they lost the game against France ”, he described.
That expulsion marked a Cristiano who insisted on lengthening the tension with the referee during the championship. “In another match, I was the fourth official and I remember looking at me and still very angry, which I understand. If he had been a player and played a European U17, he would also be disappointed with the referee, but he reacted well. I got more cards from him, but overall, I think I had a good relationship with him”.
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