Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo called Lionel Messi on Thursday “an incredible, magical, top player”, considered he had “a very good relationship” with the Argentine, and assured that “Qatar will be his” last World Cup “.
In an interview with the Spanish newspaper “Marca”, the English player from Manchester United assured this Messi “is an incredible player. Magical. Top. As a person, we’ve shared the stage for 16 years. Imagine 16 years. So, I have a great relationship with him.”
“He is a guy that I respect a lot for the way he always talks about me. His wife or my wife, my girlfriend, also always have respect and they are from Argentina. My girlfriend is from Argentina. Very good. What am I I will say about Messi. A good guy who does great things for football”
“I’m not friends with him, in terms of like a friend who was with you at your house or talking on the phone. No, but he’s like a teammate,” he said.
“He is a guy that I respect a lot for the way he always talks about me. His wife or my wife, my girlfriend, also always have respect and they are from Argentina. My girlfriend is from Argentina. Very good. What am I I will say about Messi a good guy who does great things for football” he added.
Manchester United criticism
Cristiano Ronaldo then launched strong criticisms of the American Glazer family, owners of Manchester United, underlining that they “do not care about the club”, adding that “they will get money from marketing, but they don’t really get it from sport”. I haven’t spoken to them since I got back.
“The players want the best from the club, that’s why I’m back and that’s why I love the club. But things within the club don’t help United reach the top tier like City and Liverpool. Or Arsenal now, for example. It will be difficult for Manchester United to be at the top of football for the next two or three years with this structure.“, He added.
Regarding the sanction that the United board applied to him for three days, the Portuguese indicated that “it was the club’s strategy for me to react like this. I was very, very, very, very disappointed with Manchester’s communication United To be honest, I’ve never had any problems with any club, with any manager. And they suspended me for three days, which I heard a lot. It was a shame.”
Optimism for Qatar
Regarding his team’s performance in Group H against Uruguay, Ghana and South Korea, Cristiano was “very optimistic” and underlined: “we have a fantastic coach and we have a good generation of players. I really want to go, a world incredible Cup. I dreamed about it (winning a World Cup). It will be difficult. Extremely difficult. But anything is possible. But, of course, we will compete.”
Referring to his future at the selection level, he specified: “It’s hard to say right now, because my mood is, right now, in the World Cup. It will probably be my last World Cup, of course, my fifth World Cup. I don’t know what will happen after the World Cup, but as I have already told you and I will repeat it, the fans will always be in my heart and I hope they will be by my side, even if I come back, or if I don’t come back, or if I stay or whatever.” concluded Ronaldo.
