Ronaldo: I Didn’t Say That Roma Players 'Begged For Mercy’
Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo has denied ever saying that Roma players begged him for mercy during last season’s meeting in the Champions League.
In the build-up to Tuesday’s re-match between Man Utd and Roma, the press printed extracts from Ronaldo’s book, which supposedly said that some Roma players pleaded with the winger not to “do any more dribbles”.
However Ronaldo has rubbished these reports and says that everything has been misinterpreted.
“Read my book and you will see on page 112 exactly what happened,” he stressed. “A Roma player did ask me to stop dribbling, but obviously he was joking just like some English players do when they ask me to switch to the other side of the pitch.
“Roma played well and had some good chances and we aren’t the side we were in April. But we are improving and we will be better at the Olimpico in December.”
Ronaldo also accepted that the elbow he received off Roma striker Mirko Vucinic, which caused him to require stitches for a facial wound, was not deliberate.
“It wasn’t an intentional foul,” Ronaldo said. “It was just one of those things that happen during a game.
“I don’t like black eyes, but Vucinic didn’t do it on purpose and these things happen in football.”
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Canna criticises "lazy" Real
Fabio Cannavaro praised Lazio for their performance, but admits “lazy” Real Madrid have much to learn about team spirit and defending as a unit.
“Lazio played a great game and we didn’t do too well, as we should not have left so much space and were lucky they didn’t make the most of that,” he said after the 2-2 draw at the Olimpico.
“I have been playing in Spain for a year and there are differences. You defend less as a unit and more as individuals, so you get a lot of one-against-one or even two-against-one. This is their mentality and that is tough to change, even though we tried last season.”
Fabio Capello won the Liga title with Real, but was fired because his style of play was not considered to be entertaining enough.
Cannavaro was one of the few imports requested by Capello that remained at the club and he revealed the difficulties he has to deal with in Madrid.
“I always tell them to help out the defence, as the important thing in a team is balance and everyone fighting together,” he told Sky Italia television.
“I can’t ask Ruud van Nistelrooy and Raul to work in defence, but I can tell them to adjust their position slightly during the difficult times when we are under pressure.
“When you are on the field with attacking midfielders like Wesley Sneijder, Guti and Arjen Robben, they get lazy and focus more on the attack rather than coming back to help out. We do discuss these things.”
Gabriel Heinze was used as Cannavaro’s central defensive partner in that Champions League encounter.
“We have had injuries to Pepe and Metzelder, while we needed a bit more attacking flair down the right with Sergio Ramos, so Heinze was chosen to partner me in the centre. We have a large squad and the Coach likes to change regularly so everyone gets a rest.”
Real Madrid now share top spot in Group C with Olympiacos, who won 3-1 away to Werder Bremen, on four points. Lazio have two points, Werder are yet to get off the mark.
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but such an act of pantomime deserves punishment. His collapse when the only thing injured was his pride was a cynical attempt to dramatise the incident to Celtic’s detriment. Then again, maybe I’m being harsh on the tall, well-built custodian. If his pain threshold is as soft as his hands then that wee tap probably was excruciating.
