Tag: cristiano ronaldo

  • Ronaldo sends Madrid into CL semi-finals

    Cristiano Ronaldo scored a 98th-minute penalty as Real Madrid sensationally booked their spot in the semi-finals of the Champions League with a 4-3 aggregate win over Juventus.

    The reigning European champions entered the match holding a 3-0 advantage from the first leg in Turin, but Juventus hit back with three goals of their own to leave the tie level at 3-3 entering stoppage time at the end of the 90 minutes.

    Ronaldo spectacularly sent Los Blancos into the final four, however, when he converted from the penalty spot after Medhi Benatia had felled Lucas Vazquez, with the aftermath seeing Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon receive a straight red card for dissent.

    Los Blancos have joined Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Roma in the final four as they bid to win the European Cup for the third year in a row.

    Real Madrid’s team showed two changes from the one that started the first leg last week, with Jesus Vallejo and Gareth Bale coming in for Sergio Ramos and Karim Benzema.

    As for Juventus, Mario Mandzukic, Blaise Matuidi, Benatia and Miralem Pjanic were handed recalls to the XI, put there was no Paulo Dybala following the Argentine’s red card at the Bernabeu.

    It took Juventus less than two minutes to make the breakthrough in the Spanish capital, with Mandzukic heading a deep Sami Khedira cross into the back of the net from close range.

    The visitors came close to cutting the aggregate score to 3-2 in the eighth minute when the ball fell kindly for Gonzalo Higuain inside the box following good work from Douglas Costa, but Los Blancos goalkeeper Keylor Navas made a smart save.

    Real Madrid came close themselves two minutes later when Luka Modric released Bale inside the Juventus box, but the Welshman could not poke the ball past Buffon.

    The hosts had the ball in the back of the Juventus net in the 14th minute when Isco converted from close range following a loose save from Buffon, but the offside flag was raised despite replays showing that the Spaniard was onside.

    Mandzukic then bundled into the arms of Navas from close range as chances continued to arrive at either end.

    Marcelo was next to come close for Real Madrid just before the 30-minute mark, but the Brazilian saw his powerful drive miss the Juventus crossbar, before Toni Kroos had a goal-bound strike blocked by Pjanic.

    Isco had a huge chance to level the scores in the 35th minute when he was released by Ronaldo inside the Juventus box, but Buffon was on hand to make an excellent save.

    Juventus then went down the other end and scored their second as Mandzukic headed a super Stephan Lichtsteiner cross into the corner of the net to stun the Bernabeu into silence.

    Real Madrid almost registered in the latter stages of the first half when Raphael Varane met a free kick from Kroos, but the Frenchman saw his effort hit the crossbar before Juventus cleared their lines.

  • Ronaldo thanks Juventus supporters for applauding his goal

    Cristiano Ronaldo thanked Juventus fans who applauded his stunning bicycle kick goal for Real Madrid against the Italian side on Tuesday.

    The Portugal forward also said he had been hoping for a long time to score in such spectacular fashion.

    “Obviously people are talking about my second goal….it was a spectacular goal, possibly the best of my career,” he said in a video posted on several Spanish websites after the Champions League tie in Turin.

    “I scored once for the national team with a bicycle kick, which hit the post and went in, but this was a bit better.

    “I had been looking to score a goal like that for a long time but it depends on the circumstances of the match.

    Read Also: Ronaldo stunning bicycle kick helps Real take charge v Juve

    Sometimes, it doesn’t work, but you always have to try. I tried and I scored,” said Ronaldo.

    The goal, second in Real’s 3-0 win in the quarter-final first leg, was scored when the Real Madrid forward met Dani Carvajal’s cross with an incredible overhead kick, and was applauded by the home fans.

    “This was one of the nicest moments. To be applauded by the Juventus stadium, where so many great footballers have played, it’s a top moment for me.

    “It’s something that stays in your heart…I want to thank all the Italians who were here in the stadium and applauded me,” Ronaldo said.

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  • Spain’s prosecutor seeks five-year jail for Xavi Alonso on tax fraud

    Spain’s prosecutor said on Wednesday it was seeking a five-year jail sentence and a fine of 4 million euros (£3.5 million) for former soccer player Xavi Alonso over accusations of tax fraud.

    The prosecutor said in a statement Alonso is accused of defrauding the Spanish state some 2 million euros between 2010 and 2012.

    The prosecutor called for the same sentence to be applied to Alonso’s financial advisor Ivan Zaldua Azcuenaga and the administrator of consultancy shell company, Ignasi Maestre Casanova.

    Read Also: Alonso: Gerrard good enough for Spain team

    The Spanish government has been clamping down on footballers who are found guilty of either evading or avoiding tax.

    Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo were recently prosecuted for similar offenses.

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  • Splashing cash not enough for PSG to deliver in UEFA

    Splashing cash not enough for PSG to deliver in UEFA

    The early exit of Paris St Germain ( PSG ) from the UEFA Champions League again showed the club’s inability to deliver on the biggest stage in spite of their expensively-assembled team.

    The French League 1 leaders were knocked out in the last 16 by Real Madrid 5-2 on aggregate.

    They lost 1-2 at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Tuesday, never threatening a comeback following their 1-3 defeat in the first leg in Spain.

    Without Neymar, who is recovering from ankle surgery, Unai Emery’s side failed to create space against the defending champions.

    “All that for this,” wrote French sports daily L’Equipe on their front page.

    “PSG disappeared without leaving a trace,” the paper wrote in a column.

    Since Qatar Sports Investments ( QSI ) took over in 2011, PSG have never reached the semi-finals of the Champions League.

    The French champions were eliminated in the last 16 twice in a row after four consecutive quarter-final exits.

    Spending 400 million euros ( $497 million ) on Neymar and France international Kylian Mbappe did not help.

    The Brazilian played poorly in the first leg and his striking partner was nowhere to be seen on Tuesday.

    In Ligue 1 however, PSG lead the standings by a massive 14 points after 28 games.

    However, it could be said that they lack the competitiveness of a bigger league to prepare them for the Champions League knockout stage.

    Former AC Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi, however, believes the club founded in 1970 have to build their identity.

    Read Also: Heineken opens viewing centres for UEFA Champions League in Nigeria

    “PSG is just a group of players,” he told Italian TV.

    “You cannot buy ideas. The club should always come first. I thought I would see players with the bit between their teeth. I think PSG need to become an institution.”

    PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi said he was “disappointed by a few players,” among which should feature midfielder Marco Verratti, who picked up a second yellow card for arguing with referee Felix Brych.

    It was Verratti’s third dismissal in the Champions League, and it appeared to seal his team’s fate as they already were 1-0 down after Cristiano Ronaldo’s opener.

    Al-Khelaifi, however, is convinced the club’s method is the right one.

    “I don’t think it’s a mindset problem. The players believed in it and we were ready,” he said.

    “We will not change our investment strategy. We will continue with our project notably with those two players ( Neymar and Mbappe ) because they are the future of the club.”

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  • Ronaldo’s son strikes a very familiar pose

    Ronaldo’s son strikes a very familiar pose

     

    It’s one of the most iconic photos of such a global superstar.Four years ago, Cristiano Ronaldo smashed home Real Madrid’s fourth in their Champions League rout of Atletico Madrid to claim the famous trophy at Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal.

    Upon doing so, he whipped his shirt off to reveal his considerable physique during his celebration.

    His son, then three, will have a limited recollection of that famous night in Ronaldo’s home country, but he has brought it all back to life with his own rendition of the famous celebration.

    Ronaldo on Thursday took a snap of his son in the gym, with Jnr striking an incredibly familiar pose.

    The Portuguese superstar wrote: ‘Jnr say daddy I’m gonna be like you!!! What do you think??’

    Ronaldo was rested for Tuesday’s clash as Real slumped to a shock defeat against Espanyol.

    On Saturday Ronaldo and Co welcome Getafe to the Bernabeu but the Portugese striker could be rested again ahead of the midweek Champions League second leg tie against PSG.

    Meanwhile Real Madrid chief Florentino Perez is out to make smooth run difficult for Ronaldo at the Bernabeu after speculations that he plans to offload as many as ten players including the duo of Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema who have blended well with Ronaldo and have helped in winning back to back Champions league in 2016 and 2017.

    Perez is said to want Bale gone because of his repetitive injuries, while Benzema has only netted three league goals all season.

    However, the president will have to reinvest in his squad to provide Ronaldo with other partners, and injured Paris Saint-Germain’s Neymar is thought to be his top target.

    Diario Gol add that goalkeeper Keylor Navas is another that is expected to be shipped out – David De Gea or Thibaut Courtois are touted as his successor.

    Isco has struggled to impress when given the chance and he will be also be one of the first heading out.

    The futures of Raphael Varane and Mateo Kovacic are up in the air and could be moved on to make room for new signings.

  • Ronaldo: No need to worry I am still handsome

    Ronaldo: No need to worry I am still handsome

     

    Fine boy’ Cristiano Ronaldo says he is still impressed with what he sees on the mirror despite the facial injury he got last week.

    The Real Madrid star  who is not only concerned about playing but also marketing himself  said he is still handsome’ after sustaining a facial injury during their comprehensive victory over Deportivo La Coruna.

    Ronaldo is still wearing the battle scars after the clash with an opposition defender left a cut on the side of his face pouring with blood.

    The image-conscious Portugal international was seen checking his blood-drenched face on the mobile phone of a club doctor as he left the pitch injured last Sunday which later required him to have three stitches above the eye.

    ‘Players often hit me in games because they have to stop me but this time I wasn’t so lucky,’ Ronaldo said in an interview with Chinese social network Dongqiudi.

    ‘Now I feel better, I am still happy, I am still handsome and my vision is as clear as before so there’s no problem.’

    Ronaldo is in the midst of his worst domestic run of form since joining Real from Manchester United in 2009 for a then world-record fee of £80million, with only six league goals to his name, although he is top scorer in the Champions League.

    Real are also enduring a dramatic fall from grace after sweeping to the Champions League and La Liga titles last season, with Zinedine Zidane’s men currently 19 points adrift of league leaders Barcelona.

    Madrid were also dumped out of the Copa del Rey by Leganes on Wednesday which has sparked rumours Ronaldo could be open to leaving Spain amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain.

    Ronaldo, however, believes they can still salvage their season by winning the Champions League, with a mouth-watering last 16 tie with Ligue 1 leaders and potential suitors PSG awaiting them next month.

    ‘As this is Real Madrid, the fans, coaches and players are very, very disappointed with our current position but it’s still early,’ he added.

    ‘Perhaps at the end of the season we’ll win the Champions League and then people will say “What an incredible season”.’

    The five-times Ballon d’Or winner also said he wished to remain at Real for many years, despite reports in the Spanish media claiming he is in dispute with club president Florentino Perez over the unfulfilled promise of a new contract.

    ‘Of course I love living here, I’ve lived here since 2009 and I love the climate and the people,’ he said.

    ‘Spain is a great country and of course I want to stay here, I love this club.’

     

     

  • Ronaldo, Madrid nominated for Laureus awards

    Ronaldo, Madrid nominated for Laureus awards

     

    Cristiano Ronaldo has been nominated for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award and Real Madrid are in contention for the Team of the Year gong.

    Ronaldo claimed the Ballon d’Or for a fifth time last month and is among the six nominees for the prestigious Laureus award, which he has never won.

    Madrid could also be recognised for a stellar 2017 at a ceremony in Monaco on February 27 after winning the UEFA Champions League, LaLiga and FIFA Club World Cup.

    Prolific forward Ronaldo faces competition from Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Lewis Hamilton, Mo Farah and Chris Froome.

    Federer, also nominated for the Comeback of the Year category, was crowned Australian Open and Wimbledon champion, while Nadal won a 10th French Open title and the US Open.

    Hamilton claimed a fourth Formula One title, while Froome became only the third man to win the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana in the same year.

    Farah took gold in the 10,000 metres and 5,000m silver at the IAAF World Championships on home soil in his final year as a track athlete.

    The great Serena Williams is among the nominees for World Sportswoman of the Year after winning the Australian Open while pregnant.

    Garbine Muguruza is also in the running following her maiden Wimbledon triumph, while athletes Allyson Felix and Caster Semenya are among the contenders following a ballot by the world’s sports media.

    American duo Katie Ledecky and Mikaela Shiffrin also made the list, reward for their remarkable swimming and skiing exploits respectively.

    The France Davis Cup team, Golden State Warriors, New England Patriots, Mercedes and New Zealand’s America’s Cup winners are the other contenders for the Team of the Year award.

  • CR7 or 007:  Ronaldo to hit film industry after football

    CR7 or 007:  Ronaldo to hit film industry after football

     

    Less than 24 hours after former Liberia international and World footballer of the year George Weah emerged President elect of the country, multiple award winning Cristiano Ronaldo has giving a hint he is not thinking about politics but film industry after football.

    At 32 and still in peak physical condition, the Real Madrid and Portugal star has no immediate desire to hang up his boots, but already has plans in place for when the time comes.

    The likes of Vinnie Jones, Eric Cantona and David Beckham have all made the transition from the pitch to the silver screen and Ronaldo has designs on trying his hand at acting once he has finished terrorising opposition defences.

    “Now I’m focused on the field, I know the time will come when I’ll have to leave it, but until then I want to enjoy the moment,” Ronaldo told Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero in an interview for Sky Italia.

    “Which is good, it’s very good. I know that when I retire I will have a good life.

    “I do not say that because I have a lot of money, I say it because I will try new things.

    “For example, I want to try making movies. Then I have my companies: my hotels, my gyms, and my line with Nike. I want to learn to be a businessman; I started planning my future at 27 or 28 years, a long time ago.

    “I have a very good team, many people who work in my company and help me to build interesting projects. When I play football everything depends on me, it also depends on these people, who work for me.”

    The five -time Ballon d’Or winner who has a lot of business outfits is reported to be worth over $400 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth as at July 2017. Ronaldo who is said to have soft spot for world class hotel with all amenities in place, one of them being a stylish, football-themed hotel in Portugal’s Madeira, where guests can lounge by a rooftop infinity pool, exercise in an open-air gym, and take a bath in a room designed to look like a football field.

  • Ronaldo: I have a lot of space for trophies

    Ronaldo: I have a lot of space for trophies

     

    Cristiano Ronaldo joked he has a lot of space for trophies after winning the Best Player of the Year at the Globe Soccer Awards.

    Real Madrid star Ronaldo retained the gong, winning for the fourth time overall following a stellar 2017.

    The honour added to his record-equaling fifth Ballon d’Or and FIFA’s The Best Award this year after helping Madrid to LaLiga and Champions League glory.

    “It is a special moment and I am very happy to receive this award,” said Ronaldo, whose agent Jorge Mendes was named Best Agent of the Year.

    “I would like to thank the coach, my team-mates and Real Madrid. Thanks to the people that voted for me, and do the same next year.”

    Asked if he had enough room for his trophies, Ronaldo added: “Don’t worry I have a lot of space.”

    Madrid swept the board at the Globe Soccer Awards, named the Best Club of the Year, while Zinedine Zidane claimed Best Coach.

    “I want to say thank you, here I am representing the club and its president,” said the Frenchman. “It’s an honour for me and the club.

    “Receiving this award means that things are working well.

    “Thanks also to the president and to Real Madrid for giving me the opportunity [to coach the team]. All the players are incredible and I congratulate all of them.

    “This is for them, not for me. Thanks also to all the coaches. I have won many things, but this job is very difficult.

    “Lastly, and most importantly, I dedicate this to my mother.”

  • Ronaldo, Messi and Lewan tied on scorers chart

    Ronaldo, Messi and Lewan tied on scorers chart

     

    Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski are all tied on 53 goals for club and country, with the trio all enjoying stellar years. With 2017 drawing to a close, three of the finest finishers in world football are leading the way in the race to end the year as the top goalscorer.

    Just behind them is Edinson Cavani, with 52 goals, while Harry Kane, the only Premier League striker in the top 10, is breathing down their necks on 50. 

    And Kane has every chance of finishing above the trio, with the striker preparing to play one more game than his rivals before 2018 arrives.

    Forty-three-goal hitman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is down in sixth, three goals ahead of Ciro Immobile while Radamel Falcao has managed 36 in 2017.

    Edin Dzeko is on 35 while Dries Mertens, one behind the former Manchester City forward, makes up the top 10.

    Real Madrid striker Ronaldo has had a year to remember, helping the Spaniards seal their second successive Champions League triumph — and their third in four years.

    Ronaldo’s 53-goal total takes in account his 11 goals for Portugal this year, helping the European champions qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

    And he’ll be hoping to end the year on a high by once again beating long-term rival Messi to more personal glory.

    However, the Portuguese superstar has just one game to get ahead of his Barcelona counterpart before La Liga has a short winter break.

    Interestingly, that encounter this Saturday is between Real Madrid and Barca in a what is a crunch Christmas Clasico.

    Bayern Munich play Borussia Dortmund in the German Cup on Wednesday night before Bundesliga clubs enjoy their lengthy winter break.

    The in-form forward has been banging the goals in for club and country this year, with nine of his 53 coming for Poland.

    Cavani, the Paris Saint-Germain forward, also has just one game left of 2017 before the French league has a break over the festive period.

    That Ligue 1 clash against Caen is also on Wednesday night, meaning this list will take better shape come Thursday.

    Just three of Cavani’s 52 goals have come for Uruguay, which highlights the stunning form he has enjoyed in 2017 for PSG.

    Making up the top five is Tottenham star Kane, who has a great chance of finishing ahead of his four rivals.

    And the England forward has one more game than his rivals to add to his tally, with Premier League teams playing throughout Christmas and the New Year.

    Top 10 Scorers in 2017

    Cristiano Ronaldo 53

    Lionel Messi 53

    Robert Lewandowski 53

    Edinson Cavani 52

    Harry Kane 50

    Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 43

    Ciro Immobile 40

    Radamel Falcao 36

    Edin Dzeko 35

    Dries Mertens 34