The Nation Newspaper

Tag: cristiano ronaldo

  • Ronaldo shows off new £1.85m Bugatti Chiron

    Ronaldo shows off new £1.85m Bugatti Chiron

     

    Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has been busy showing off the latest addition of his glittering car collection.

    The Portugal star shared a video of himself taking his son for a spin in a new Bugatti Chiron.

    Ronaldo is rightly in a celebratory mood after his side’s impressive 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

    It appears a brand new supercar is what you buy a man who already seems to have everything.

    Ronaldo looked very pleased with himself as he drove his new toy out of an underground garage with Cristiano Jr in the passenger seat.

    Writing on Instagram, Ronaldo said: ‘New animal in the building Bugatti Chiron.’

    The car, which is worth an estimated £1.85million, even had personalised ‘CR7’ headrests. It seems no expense was spared.

    Ronaldo returned to goal scoring form for Real Madrid in their midweek Champions League tie against Borussia Dortmund.

    The 32-year-old scored twice for Zinedine Zidane’s side as they lay down an impressive statement of intent in the competition.

    The Spanish side have now won both their group matches this season and look likely to battle Tottenham for the top spot.

    Meanwhile Manchester United fans were treated to a brief reminder of their former glory days as Rio Ferdinand caught up with his former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.

    The pair spent six seasons together at Old Trafford, winning three Premier League titles and the Champions League before Ronaldo made his way to Real Madrid in 2009.

    Long since retired and now working in the media industry, Ferdinand was given the chance to interview the Portuguese and posted a photo of the pair on his Instagram account.

    In the caption, he wrote: ‘Always good to see my man @cristiano & pleasure to interview him on his new Chapter 5: Cut to Brilliance boot!!!! Thanks to @nike for making it happen.’

    Ferdinand had teased his followers with a picture earlier in the day, asking fans to guess who his latest interviewee was just from the back of their head. Unsurprisingly, many were quick to guess correctly.

    Although the subject of the interview appears to be under wraps, Ferdinand’s hint at a new ‘chapter’ suggests his new children, twins Mateo and Eva Maria Dos Santos, may have something to do with it.

    The two children arrived in Ronaldo’s life in July after being born to a surrogate in California. The 32-year-old is also expecting a girl with partner Georgina Rodriguez to take his total offspring up to four with Cristiano Ronaldo Jnr the eldest.

    Ferdinand, who works with BT Sport as one of their top pundits, may have been working for the broadcaster ahead Real Madrid’s much-anticipated Champions League clash with Tottenham on October 17.

  • UEFA Champions League: Ronaldo grabs brace as Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund

    UEFA Champions League: Ronaldo grabs brace as Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund

    Cristiano Ronaldo marked his 150th European game with two goals as Real Madrid sealed a 3-1 victory at Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday to lead their UEFA Champions League Group H.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ronaldo scored two second half goals after Gareth Bale’s stunning early volley gave Real the lead at Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park.

    The Germans fought back when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang finally netted with just over half an hour left, but there was to be no repeat of last year’s 2-2 draw in Dortmund between the teams.

    “Real were simply ruthless and utilised their goal scoring chances,” Dortmund midfielder Gonzalo Castro later said.

    “We had the chance to make it 1-1, but instead we went 0-2 down and then it is always hard against Real.’’

    The result leaves Real top of Group H, just ahead of Tottenham Hotspurs, who beat Apoel Nicosia 3-0 away in Cyprus through a Harry Kane hat-trick.

    Having also netted twice against Apoel, Ronaldo has now scored four goals in just two Champions League games this season.

    He marked his 400th appearance for Madrid in total with another pair to leave him with 411 goals in the famous white shirt.

    This is the first time Dortmund have lost at home to Real in seven European games, while holders Madrid have now scored in 38 successive Champion League games.

    Dortmund should have been awarded a penalty kick with 13 minutes gone when Sergio Ramos cleared Maximilian Philipp’s shot off the line and the ball deflected off his hand.

    Andrey Yarmolenko’s initial cross sailed tantalisingly over the head of Borussia’s top-scorer Aubameyang in the build-up.

    Real took the lead three minutes later when right-back Daniel Carvajal whipped in a cross and Bale’s non-chalant volley sailed over Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Burki for a stunning goal.

    With half an hour gone, Dortmund turned the screw with Carvajal having to rescue Real by whipping the ball off Aubameyang’s toes with the Gabon striker bearing down on goal.

    Aubameyang had the ball in the net on 38 minutes, when he spun and fired home Lukasz Piszczek’s pass, but the goal was ruled offside as it stayed 1-0 to Real at the break.

    Real lived dangerously after the break when Mario Goetze tried to find Aubameyang, but centre-back Raphael Varane cleared the danger.

    The Spanish giants doubled their lead on 49 minutes when Ronaldo met Bale’s inch-perfect cross.

    Dortmund pulled a goal back on 54 minutes when Aubameyang slipped his marker to convert Gonzalo Castro’s cross, then hit the side netting as Borussia pushed for the equaliser.

    With 15 minutes left, Burki had to push Isco’s shot around the post as Real kept the pressure.

    Ronaldo, who was left in acres of space, settled the tie by blasting home Luka Modric’s cross on 79 minutes with Madrid’s third goal on the break.

    It was a goal which took the game out of Dortmund’s grasp.

    In other UEFA Champions League matches played on Tuesday, Kevin De Bruyne’s superb strike and a late Raheem Sterling goal maintained Manchester City’s impressive form.

    They won 2-0 at Shakhtar Donetsk in Kiev

  • Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar on FIFA player of the year shortlist

    Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar on FIFA player of the year shortlist

    Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar have been nominated as finalists for the Best FIFA Men’s Player award, the football sport’s world governing body said on Friday.

    Ronaldo helped Real Madrid to a second consecutive UEFA Champions League title and finished as the tournament’s top scorer with 12 goals earlier this year.

    Messi and Neymar claimed the Spanish King’s Cup with FC Barcelona with the former finishing as La Liga’s top scorer with 37 goals last season.

    Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon was shortlisted for the Best FIFA Goalkeeper award.

    He led the Italian club to a sixth successive Serie A title, a third-straight Italian Cup success and a runner-up finish in the UEFA Champions League.

    He was joined by Real Madrid’s Keylor Navas and Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer.

    Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane, Chelsea’s Antonio Conte and Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri were on the shortlist for the Best FIFA Men’s Coach award.

    The women’s player of the year award will be contested between Venezuelan striker Deyna Castellanos, American midfielder Carli Lloyd, and Leike Martens, who helped Netherlands to the Euro 2017 title.

    The awards ceremony will take place in London on October 23.

  • Ronaldo unveils monogrammed boots

    Ronaldo unveils monogrammed boots

    Cristiano Ronaldo has never been one to fade quietly into the background, and with new monogrammed, sparkling boots, he is making sure he remains front and centre.

    Nike unveiled the boots, named the ‘CR7 series – Chapter 5: Cut To Brilliance’, with a video of the Real Madrid and Portugal forward in action.

    Among the features included in the new designs are diamond-like designs over the white boots, which will sparkle when playing under lights.

    The top of the boots include multiple colours knitted into the fabric, as well as the CR7 logo – Ronaldo’s brand name – while the heel, amid more diamond-esque designs, has the date of Ronaldo’s Madrid debut emblazoned.

    Also included are the words ‘El Sueño Del Niño’ – Portuguese for ‘the dream of the child’ – which were apparently the words Ronaldo told Nike’s design team when asked to describe how he felt about joining Real.

    Ronaldo joined Real in 2009 for a then world record £80million fee. He has since broken a series of records, becoming the fastest player to score 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 league goals, as well as being the first to score against every team in La Liga in one season.

    The player himself said: ‘The details of the white boots – the colour, the diamonds – they are beautiful; they are cool. I am sure, 100 percent, people are gonna like it.

    ‘The records and numbers, they are a part of my job. I am blessed to have had great moments every year.’

    For those who want to emulate Ronaldo – and bring the sparkly boots to the Sunday league pitches of Britain, if they dare the boots go on sale on September 29.

  • C. Ronaldo suspended for five games

    C. Ronaldo suspended for five games

    Real Madrid’s forward Cristiano Ronaldo has been suspended for five games after being sent off the football pitch in Real Madrid’s 3-1 win against Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup first leg on Sunday.

    The football icon was initially given a one-match ban for being shown two yellow cards and further attracted four for pushing the referee in the back after he had been sent off.

    The bookings at the Nou Camp were for taking off his shirt to celebrate his goal to make it 2-1 and for a dive.

    Consequentially, Ronaldo will miss Wednesday’s second leg of Spanish Super Cup and La Liga on the 20 of August. Other games are Valencia (h) – La Liga on August 27, Levante (h) – La Liga on September 9 and Real Sociedad (a) La Liga on September 17.

    The 32year old player has only 10 days to appeal the decision against him.

    However, the Portugal international will be able to play in the Champions League but will not return to domestic action until 20 September against Real Betis.

    Reacting to Ronaldo’s second yellow card shown for diving eight minutes from time when he went down inside the area under pressure from Samuel Umtiti, Madrid boss, Zinedine Zidane after the game said: “Ronaldo’s sending-off annoys me because even if it is not a penalty, the card is harsh,” adding that the club would see what it could do so that he is available on Wednesday.

    It would be recalled that this marks Ronaldo’s 10th red card of his career and the two yellow cards on Sunday came within two minutes.

    In his post-match report, the referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea wrote: “Once shown the red card, Ronaldo pushed me lightly as a sign of his disapproval.”

  • United’s Mourinho eyes first Super Cup win in Real reunion

    United’s Mourinho eyes first Super Cup win in Real reunion

    Manchester United’s Jose Mourinho can collect the one European trophy he lacks when his side face Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup on Tuesday.

    This will be his first competitive meeting with the Spanish giants since an acrimonious split in 2013.

    Mourinho won the Europa League last season to salvage an otherwise disappointing first campaign under the Portuguese.

    During his stint in Spain, he had led Real to the Liga title with a record 100 points and won a King’s Cup in an eventful stay between 2010 and 2013.

    His achievements at the Santiago Bernabeu were overshadowed, however, by his falling out with key dressing room figures such as Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas.

    He also had confrontations with referees and opponents plus a failure to win the Champions League as Real lost in the semifinals each year.

    Mourinho’s legacy has been upstaged by the Spanish club’s three Champions League triumphs in the four years since his departure.

    Although in a recent interview the Portuguese claimed he had “to beg” Real’s board to let him leave for Chelsea.

    Champions League holders Real will be without talisman and former United forward Cristiano Ronaldo in Skopje, Macedonia as the Portugal international was allowed to report late for pre-season training after he played in the Confederations Cup.

    Zinedine Zidane’s side beat Sevilla 3-2 in extra-time last year to win the showcase match.

    The French coach is targeting a fourth European trophy in less than two years in charge of Real, which would match Mourinho’s tally of continental titles.

    United, meanwhile, will be missing central defenders Eric Bailly and Phil Jones, due to suspension, opening up a place in the starting lineup for new recruit Victor Lindelof.

    The Swede is one of three signings made so far by United, along with Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku and midfield anchorman Nemanja Matic.

    They arrived at a combined cost of 146 million pounds ($190.34 million) as the Old Trafford side looks to improve on a disappointing sixth-placed Premier League finish last term.

    Real have added promising youngsters Theo Hernandez and Dani Ceballos to their talent-packed squad which won a Liga and Champions League double last season, while parting ways with forwards Alvaro Morata and James Rodriguez.

    Their reported interest in French teenage sensation Kylian Mbappe has yet to materialise, however.

    United beat Real on penalties after a 1-1 draw in a friendly in California last month and won five of their other pre-season games, losing only to Barcelona.

    Real, meanwhile, failed to win any of their four friendlies in the United States in 90 minutes.

    They lost 3-2 to Barca and got thrashed 4-1 by Manchester City, their only win came in a shoot-out victory over an MLS All-Stars team.

    “The sensation overall is not good, when you don’t win any of your four games something is wrong,” Zidane told reporters after the tour.

    “We have to do a lot more, we’ve made a bad start with these results and what we all want is to get home, rest and think about the Super Cup.”

  • Ronaldo dreams England return 

    Ronaldo dreams England return 

     

    Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted he wants to leave Real Madrid and return to England, just days before facing his old club Manchester United in the UEFA Super Cup.

    Spanish radio Cadena Ser has revealed extracts of Ronaldo’s defence in front of a judge this week held in a court just outside of Madrid as part of the investigation into his alleged €14.7m tax fraud.

    The player had a private hearing with judge Monica Gomez Ferrer on Monday and it is not unusual for declarations to be leaked to the media often by the investigated parties themselves.

    Cadena Ser reported on Friday that Ronaldo told the judge: ‘I never had a problem in England… that’s why I would like to go back to England.’

    Ronaldo was furious when originally accused of tax evasion earlier this summer and the Portuguese paper ‘A Bola’ reported that he had made an ‘irreversible’ decision to leave Spain as a consequence.

    With PSG focusing on Neymar and Manchester United convinced they could not afford to re-sign their former player Ronaldo’s determination appeared to subside.

    But in his 90 minute hearing in midweek he seems to have made it clear a summer exit is still on his mind.

    Real Madrid are keen to sell one of their famed front three forward line of Karim Benzema, Ronaldo and Gareth Bale this summer so as to make space for €180m-rated 18-year-old Kylian Mbappe who has told the club he does not want to come only to sit on the bench.

  • Ronaldo shuns media after court appearance

    Ronaldo shuns media after court appearance

     

    Cristiano Ronaldo opted not to speak to reporters after making a court appearance in Madrid over his tax evasion case.

    The Real Madrid forward, who denies any wrongdoing, had been expected to make a statement after attending court proceedings in Pozuelo de Alarcon – the suburb where he lives – on Monday.

    But Ronaldo opted not to speak to reporters after the 90-minute session with a judge, Inaki Torres of his management company Gestifute instead speaking on his behalf, insisting “everything is in order” with the case.

    The announcement that Ronaldo, who did not enter or leave through the court’s main entrance, would not be speaking was met by boos from some sections of the gathered media.

    Prosecutors allege the 32-year-old has evaded €14.7million in taxes relating to his image rights between 2011 and 2014.

    The four-time Ballon d’Or winner is alleged to have created a “business structure” in 2010 to conceal his earnings, a claim which has also been strenuously denied by Gestifute.

    If Ronaldo’s case is sent to trial and he is ultimately found guilty, the Gestha union of experts at Spain’s Inland Revenue has said he could face a fine of “at least €28m” and a prison sentence of three-and-a-half years.

    The case has sparked intense speculation over Ronaldo’s future with his club after reports claimed he no longer wanted to play in Spain amid the scrutiny of his tax affairs, but he is now apparently set to stay.

    He is yet to join up with Madrid for their pre-season preparations due to his involvement in the Confederations Cup with Portugal in Russia.

    Madrid have offered Ronaldo their support and believe he will be proven innocent.

  • Ronaldo set for another mega bucks endorsement

    Ronaldo set for another mega bucks endorsement

    Football mega-star Cristiano Ronaldo jetted into Singapore for a flying visit to Valencia owner Peter Lim and his family Friday on his way to a media event in China.

    Dozens of fans and journalists swarmed the Real Madrid forward but were held back by security as the world footballer of the year dropped by a private hospital to visit Lim’s daughter, Kim, and her newborn baby.

    In the hospital lobby, burly bodyguards ushered Ronaldo past fans jostling with media for a picture of their hero, while others who had brought paraphernalia hoping for autographs were left disappointed. He was later smuggled out of a separate exit.

    Ronaldo was due to sign an endorsement deal and meet Singaporean billionaire Lim for dinner later in the day. No details of the endorsement deal were released.

    Lim is the owner of Hong Kong-based Mint Media, which controls all image rights for Ronaldo, except those relating to Real Madrid.

    Lim’s publicists said Ronaldo is on his way to China for a Mint Media event.

    Lim bought cash-strapped Valencia in 2014, giving it a fresh injection of funds and bringing new management.

    But the Spanish club has struggled to turn its fortunes around, with Lim’s management under severe criticism from the club’s fan base.

    He has hired six coaches in the past two years and Valencia’s Singaporean chairwoman Layhoon Chan stepped down earlier this month.

  • I’m very happy’: Ronaldo confirms 4th child on the way

    I’m very happy’: Ronaldo confirms 4th child on the way

    Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez is pregnant with his fourth child following months of speculation.

    The 32-year-old was asked by Spanish news outlet El Mundo whether he was ‘happy’ to have another child on the way, he replied: ‘Yes, very much.’

    Georgina, 23, has been pictured sporting a small bump in recent months, but her mother had previously denied she was expecting.

    The footballer legend has only just welcomed two new additions to his growing family following the birth of twins Mateo and Eva in June.

    A couple of weeks ago, Ronaldo posted an Instagram photo standing above an assortment of family members including oldest son Cristiano Jr, sisters Elma and Katia Aveiro, older brother Hugo, mother Maria Dolores and nephew Rodrigo.

    Georgina was also present, and gave credence to the now-confirmed pregnancy rumours by revealing her prominent belly as she cradled one of the twins.

    Georgina, who began dating the footballer last year, is already thought to be close to Ronaldo’s twins, who are his second and third children (Cristiano Jr is seven now).

    Ronaldo has admitted his newborn babies are ‘precious’ after Eva and Mateo were born via surrogate.

    While the identity of his son’s mother has remained a mystery, past reports have claimed that she lived in San Diego and was allegedly paid £10million by the footballer.

    Cristiano confirmed the birth of the twins officially via a Facebook post, following days of rumours.

    The footballer shared the first heartwarming photograph of his twins on June 29 which he captioned: ‘Happy to be able to hold the two new loves of my life.’

    A source told a Portuguese newspaper: ‘They are very happy with the arrival of the baby. Everyone adores Georgina and are satisfied with this relationship.’

    Georgina is said to have caught the Portuguese heartthrob’s eye in the VIP section of a recent Dolce & Gabbana party.

    It is said that they dated in secret for a few months, before going public with their romance by enjoying a date at Disneyland Paris in November.

    The couple then first stepped out together publicly at the beginning of the year, when they attended the FIFA Football Awards in Zurich.

    It has been reported the twins are a boy and girl, however, in one of Ronaldo’s earlier Facebook posts, the heartthrob implied both babies were male.

    After Portugal failed to beat Chile in the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup tournament, he wrote: ‘I was in the service of the national team, as always, body and soul, even though my two sons were born.

    ‘Unfortunately, we have not been able to achieve the main sporting objective that we wanted, but I am sure we will continue to give joy to the Portuguese.

    ‘The President of the Portuguese Football Federation and the national picker have today had an attitude that has touched me and I will not forget.

    ‘I’m very happy to finally be with my children for the first time.’