Real Madrid's Raul: Cristiano Ronaldo Is A True Leader

'El Capitan' heralds Cristiano Ronaldo as the ultimate professional.


Real Madrid veteran Raul has heaped praise on Cristiano Ronaldo for his attitude and professionalism.

"It would be boring if everyone were equal,” Raul said, according to AS.

“He is one of the best professionals I've seen. He’s a winner, someone who does not want to miss a game. He says what he thinks, but he also has a mindset that is focused on the collective.”

Ronaldo has enjoyed a fantastic first season in La Liga since his world-record breaking €94 million move from Manchester United last summer and smashed in a hat-trick last night as Real Madrid beat Mallorca 4-1 to keep the pressure on Barcelona at the top of La Liga.

Raul went on to reveal how impressed he has been with the former FIFA World Player of the Year’s professionalism and heralded him as a leader.

“He is the first to arrive and the last leave training. I see him and say to myself, ‘I have to train harder'. He’s a wonderful guy, a total leader.”

Real Madrid Star Cristiano Ronaldo Could Be Set To Change Clubs Again

Portuguese moved to Spain from United this past summer...

Real Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo has hinted that he is planning a future away from the Bernabeu.

Ronaldo, who moved to Madrid from Manchester United for a world-record transfer fee of 80 million pounds last summer, insists he will not spend the rest of his career with the club.

“Football is all about cycles. I believe that you are in teams for cycles. I spent several years wanting to play in Madrid, but I don’t see myself here at 40,” The Daily Express quoted Ronaldo, as saying.

His comment surprisingly comes weeks after Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said that Ronaldo could make a sensational return to Old Trafford.

Talking about his decision to leave United, Ronaldo said: “Alex Ferguson understood my decision. I continue to talk to him.”

The 25-year-old also expressed disappointment over the prospect of ending the season without any silverware.

“It would be a bad year if we don’t win the league because a club like this has to always win something every year,” Ronaldo said.

“Not winning this year wouldn’t be a failure, but it would be a lost year. But I am confident we can win the league,” he added.

Cristiano Ronaldo Thinks Real Madrid Must Win La Liga

Florentino Perez spent around $ 300 Million last summer to reshuffle his Real Madrid team. Cristiano Ronaldo was acquired for a world record transfer fee with Kaka’s signing also making the headlines.

But as money doesn’t buy success overnight, this season’s has proven to be a difficult one for Los Blancos who are trying to restore the pride the lost since 2008 to Barcelona’s shining star. Real Madrid’s Copa del Rey and Champions League dreams are dead.

La Liga remains their sole hope and Cristiano Ronaldo insists that Real Madrid cannot afford to end the season without a trophy. He expressed his opinion, stating:

“It would be a bad year if we don’t win La Liga because a club like this always has to win something every year.”

“It won’t be a failure if we don’t win anything this year, but it would be a lost year. Anyways, I am confident we can win the league.”

Just imagine the mockeries from anti-Real Madrid fans should Florentino Perez’s $ 300 Million squad end up with no silverware at all.

Cristiano Ronaldo guides Real Madrid to La Liga summit

Cristiano Ronaldo pointed the way to the top of the table as Real Madrid staged an enthralling three-goal fightback to beat Sevilla and overhaul Barcelona in front of an ecstatic 80,000 full house at the Bernabeu stadium.


"The Madrid side were able to play the kind of electric football they are capable of," admitted an admiring Sevilla coach Manolo Jimenez afterwards. "They have incredible power and speed."

Ronaldo triggered the power surge with his intervention on the hour mark, with Real trailing to Xabi Alonso's own goal and a 25-yard free-kick from Ivica Dragutinovic.


Real's summer £80 million signing from Manchester United, full of flicks, tricks and treats all night, steered home his 20th goal of the season from 10 yards. Sergio Ramos headed Real level four minutes later and both Guti and Rafael van der Vaart clipped the Sevilla woodwork as the home side pressed for the winner.

It finally came in the 91st minute, substitute Rafael van der Vaart, scrambling home from close range. It edged Real ahead of leaders Barcelona, who were held to a 2-2 draw at Almeria earlier in the evening, on a superior goal difference of two.

Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini, whose in-form side have struck 25 goals in their last seven league matches, said: "We were a great Real Madrid side tonight. It was a great psychological victory, it is important to be leaders."

A huge Madridista roar greeted the news that Barcelona, who had striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, had dropped points at modest Almeria but Sevilla, quick and confident on the break, came close to spoiling Real's 108th anniversary party.

Former Liverpool mainspring Alonso, under pressure from Alvaro Negredo, turned the ball past Iker Casillas in the 10th minute, and the Real goalkeepeer was badly at fault when he misjudged the trajectory of the bounce from Dragutinovic's long-range free-kick eight minutes into the second half.

Real, however, have not lost at home this season, and the confidence that had brought six successive La Liga wins was prominent as Ronaldo orchestrated increasing Madrid domination.

"We played as a team and everything worked well," Alonso said. "We are moving in the right direction."

Next destination for Alonso and his Real team-mates is Europe, where they must overturn a 1-0 Champions League round of 16 first-deficit against Lyon at the Bernabeu on Wednesday.

I could return to Manu

Real Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo has hinted at a sensational return to Manchester United when he refused to rule out playing for Old Trafford again.


"Of course I miss playing for Manchester United. Not just the club but my friends are still there, too. I played there for six years and that's a long time. Whenever I have the opportunity, I watch them play," News of the World quoted Ronaldo, as saying.

"I am still interested in watching Manchester United and, you never know, maybe in the future I could return to play there. It's always possible," he added.

The 2008 World Player of the Year quit for Real Madrid in a mega 80-million-pound transfer last year.

Wayne Rooney has had to take on the challenge of replacing Ronaldo's amazing goalscoring record at Old Trafford.

"I still speak to Wayne. When I have the opportunity I speak with him, with Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra. We talk about football and everything," he said.

"Wayne has scored a lot of goals and he is the man at Manchester United at the moment. I am really, really happy for him because he has deserved it, because he has worked for it," he added.

Ronaldo, 25, signed a six-year deal with the Spanish giants in the summer.

"I will not say I am not happy here at Real Madrid. I am really happy and everyone knows this is my club but, of course, I miss Manchester United, the boss, the players, because I left family there. I want to fulfil my contract here but, in the future, only God knows," he added.

Cristiano Ronaldo: 'My two-game ban is a disgrace'

Spanish Inquisition: Was Cristiano Ronaldo’s Red Card And Two-Match Ban A Just Decision?

“From Angel to Demon” read the Marca headline, that first described Cristiano Ronaldo’s two strikes (the second of which was sublime) and then his ‘codazo’ (elbow thrown) into the face of Danish left-back David Mtiliga, breaking the defender’s nose. The headline and match report implied a fit of petulance by the Portuguese international, a violent outburst that came after
one particularly physical challenge.

After all, Cristiano does have a reputation for such childish dismissals. During his time at Manchester United, he picked up four red cards: one in 2004 against Aston Villa and two against Manchester City - the first for a high lunge on forward Andy Cole during a 3-1 defeat that was mostly seen as a malicious act of frustration and the second for a clear hand ball, which was allegedly caused by a violent push in the back in jumping for the ball, causing Ronaldo to bring his hands up to defend his face.

But the most notable remains his last sending off in a Red Devil shirt when in the 2007–08 season, Cristiano was shown a red card for a head-butt on Portsmouth’s Richard Hughes, for which the Man U star was punished with a three-match ban. Much was made of that expulsion and although Ronaldo outwardly spoke that he had "learned a lot" from that experience and would no longer let opposing players "provoke" him into reacting in the future, such offences are rarely forgotten and Cristiano’s hot-headed reputation took hold.

In the first week of December during a match against Almeria, a brilliant Ronaldo won a penalty kick (although he missed the spot kick that Karim Benzema would clean up for the goal) and scored a goal himself on a Gonzalo Higuain cross. But after his strike, the ecstatic Portuguese stripped his shirt and flexed his muscles for a photo that would have looked better in one of his Armani model shoots than on the
football pitch - if only for the reason that it earned him a yellow card. Four minutes later, after a series of forceful challenges against him, Ronaldo lashed out with a vicious kick on Almeria’s Juanma Ortiz, an offence that earned him his second yellow card and his first sending off in a Madrid shirt (no pun intended).

The Santiago Bernabeu is not a place known for its ability to forgive. It demands its players to comport themselves with class and humility a la Zidane, Raul, and Kaka. But every player is entitled to one stupid mistake and with Ronaldo’s apology in the press immediately after his rush of blood to the head, the outburst was forgotten - or in light of CR9’s immense talent - swept under the rug.

The initial readings of the Spanish press reports seemed to indicate that Sunday’s ‘codazo’ was a relapse of the same impulsive behaviour, but upon watching the match myself, Cristiano’s flailing arm looked like more of an attempt to fend off Mtiliga (who was very clearly pulling CR9 back) than a malice-driven strike at
the face. The contact looked incidental instead of intentional; in other words, it looked as if Ronaldo was trying to play football.

A few years ago, Ronaldo had a reputation as a diver. A fast player with a slight build, the Portuguese winger would shy away from contact and very often try to simulate for the referee. Sometimes such Oscar-winning performances would win him penalties and other times yellow cards, but in both instances, it earned him a bad reputation among both fans and the zebras [referees].

But after much coaching by Sir Alex Ferguson and a good deal of work in the gym, a physically and mentally stronger Ronaldo began to ride challenges, fight through fouls, and fend off defenders, relying instead upon himself rather than the referee’s judgment. During some matches this season, Ronaldo can even be seen giving disapproving looks toward to the referee for calling a foul rather than allowing the
advantage to be played for Madrid to continue their often-lethal counterattacks.

Upon being held back by a defender, the Ronaldo of a few years ago would have stopped playing, thrown his limbs up into the air like a fish, and flopped onto the pitch with an incredulous shout and pleading look in the direction of the referee. But against Malaga, CR9 fought through the challenge in an attempt to play football and was penalised with a red card when his arm struck Mtiliga in the face. Ronaldo, himself, spoke afterward about the incident saying that if Mtiliga had been taller, his flailing arm would have connected with the defender’s chest. If anything, the Dane should have been punished with a yellow.

It seems that Cristiano has a point. Interestingly enough, an eerily similar play occurred the week before in Barcelona’s La Liga match against Sevilla, a match the Blaugrana won 4-0. The incident in question occurred when Sevilla defender Marc Valiente attempted to hold up Barca star Lionel Messi by grabbing the Argentine by the waist, shirt, and arm in a manner similar (albeit more extreme) to Mtiliga's pullback of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Instead of going down and simulating the foul, Messi, as he always strives to do, attempted to fight and free himself from the taller defender's grasp by pushing him off with his right arm, his elbow lashing backward at Valiente's chest and face. In Messi's case, no foul was called for the Argentine's wild flailing and Valiente
was booked for his mugging. All the while, the only difference between the two incidents (made clear by a video released by sports daily AS that juxtaposes the two events) appears to be the fact that Ronaldo is half a foot (0.17 metres) taller than Messi - or that Mtiliga is nearly half a foot (0.12 metres) shorter than Valiente
(it's all relative), and that Ronaldo’s arm inadvertently came into contact with Mtiliga’s face while Messi's arm did not make contact.



Ron seeing red for the first time in white

Since CR9’s sending off and subsequent two-match ban by the Spanish Competition Committee (Madrid will reportedly appeal the punishment with the hope of reducing it to one match), which will force Los Blancos’ best player to miss next weekend’s match against Deportivo La Coruna at the Riazor, where they have not won in 19 seasons, murmurs of conspiracy theories are abound in the Spanish capital. Instigated by the video that compares the similar plays of Messi and Ronaldo and the very dissimilar outcomes, Madridistas are beginning to elevate their whispers of ‘Villarato’ to louder volumes.

'Villarato' is not a real Spanish word, but a term coined by Spaniards to describe the close relationship between Barca president Joan Laporta and Spanish Federation president José María Villar (also the vice-president of FIFA and the third vice-president of UEFA), which implicitly means the Liga directors hold some favouritism toward Barca. Talk of such a conspiracy was playfully entertained last season as Barca marched on to win the Triplete on the back of some admittedly questionable calls by referees. But this season, the outrage and accusations have grown further as calls like the erroneous penalty called against Espanyol in the Barcelona derbi or Ronaldo’s recent red-card in light of Messi’s pardon show some suspect decisions.

Entertaining such theories is a very tall accusation and, to be quite blunt, it is pure rubbish. Referees are human and they do make mistakes. As Ronaldo put it, it was simply bad luck that his flailing arm happened to connect with Mtiliga’s nose and, despite the fracture, Mtiliga admitted that Ronaldo did not intend to cause harm. It seems, instead, that the Portuguese's red card and subsequent two-match ban came as a result of his action rather than the intent behind it. Should Messi have broken Valiente’s nose or caused a similar injury, perhaps he would have been sent off as well and we would not be having this debate.

But this begs the question as to where to draw the line when it comes to punishing a player for the results of his actions rather than intent behind them. For those who saw Deportivo La Coruna left-back Filipe Luis’ horrific ankle injury in scoring a goal against Athletic Bilbao (if you haven’t, don’t Youtube it; it truly is sickening) one has to wonder: if the ball had not nestled into the back of the net, would Athletic keeper Gorka Iraizoz have been sent off, banned for a number of matches, and a penalty awarded? Despite the fact that he did not intend to cause Luis any harm, does the fact that he shattered the talented Brazilian’s ankle,
ended his season and dreams of playing in the World Cup with Dunga’s Brazilian national team, and put his career in jeopardy merit a punishment?

The simple answer is no, simply because that would be absurd. Football is a sport in which athletes run, jump, kick, and slide and these activities are inherently dangerous. One tries to minimise injury, but inevitably accidents do happen and players will get hurt. It is a simple fact of the game and a known risk. A referee’s job is make sure no player attempts to purposefully injure an opponent or puts himself in a position that could significantly compromise a player, but sometimes that line can become a bit hazy and that is where referees must use their own judgement.

However, in the case of Cristiano Ronaldo’s red-card and two-match ban, I would be hard-pressed to admit that the punishment is warranted. A yellow card? Sure. A red card? Doubtful. A two-match ban? No. As for Cristiano, the way the incentives seem to have aligned through this entire debacle point to one message: next time a player tries to hold you up, don’t try to fight through the foul and play the ball. Dive. Sometimes the sport benefits if one just lets the players play.


Do you think Cristiano’s red-card was justified? Is a two-match ban excessive, just right, or not enough?

Real Madrid Will Miss Cristiano Ronaldo On Saturday

Deportivo La Coruna Coach Lotina Says Real Madrid Will Miss Cristiano Ronaldo On Saturday
The coach of the Galician outfit says the bigger teams have better squads....




Deportivo La Coruna coach Miguel Angel Lotina believes that Real Madrid will miss Cristiano Ronaldo when

they visit the Riazor on Saturday night.

Ronaldo is suspended for the game after being shown a straight red card after committing a foul trying to

evade the attention of Patrick Mtiliga in the 2-0 win over Malaga at the Bernabeu last Sunday.

The Portuguese star scored one of Real's three goals in a five goal thriller at the Bernabeu when the two

sides last met on the opening day of the season and Lotina remarked that Ronaldo's absence will have a

"significant" effect.

"He [Ronaldo} is among the three best players in the world and his absence would be a significant loss for

any team," he is quoted as saying by AS.

Lotina also stated that his team will try hard to battle with the best team's in La Liga but says other squads

are better placed to do well.

"Depor will fight to be amongst the best, there are other squads more tailored to being up at the top," he

declared.

C.Ronaldo wonderful goal vs.Porto

Cristiano Ronaldo wins Fifa's goal of the year for Man Utd screamer

Cristiano Ronaldo picked up the Puskas Goal of the Year trophy at Fifa's awards gala in Zurich on Monday night for the 40-yard strike that saw Manchester United eliminate Porto from last season's Champions League.

The 24 year-old won the inaugural award for the most outstanding goal of the 2008/09 season, scored in the return leg of the quarter-final in April. His goal won 17.68 per cent of the vote in a Fifa.com poll.

Ronaldo gave his former club a 1-0 lead with a 40 yard strike to send Sir Alex Ferguson's side to the next round.

"I am very proud of this award, it's a great honour for me," said Ronaldo, who joined Real Madrid in a world record £80 million summer transfer.

"It was incredible, a fantastic goal. If you asked me how to score a goal like that I wouldn’t be able to tell you.

"It’s just hitting it hard and seeing the net billow, that’s all."

The award is named after the football great Ferenc Puskas, captain of the legendary Hungarian team of the 1950s.

Real Madrid Coach Manuel Pellegrini Pleased With Solid Performance Against Marseille

Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini thought his team produced a solid performance in defeating Marseille 3-1 at the Stade Velodrome.

Two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, including a stunning first half free-kick, and one from central defender Raul Albiol ensured that Los Merengues finished top of UEFA Champions League Group C.

"We could have finished first [in the group] with a draw, but we won, we scored three goals and produced a solid performance. There is little difference between how we play at the Bernabeu and how we do away. We never surrender the initiative to the opposition," Pellegrini said afterwards, according to AS.

The Chilean also remarked that Madrid have achieved their objective after a busy couple of months and now can field a more consistent first eleven with less games coming up in the coming months.

"We knew in October and November we would play six or seven games each month. In December, however, there are fewer games and it is easier to repeat the lineup," he remarked.

"We still have to improve and we will do so in January and February, because our elimination from the Copa del Rey has left us many weeks off."

Marseille 1-3 Real Madrid: Merengues Finish First, Knock Hosts Out

Two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and one from Raul Albiol helped Real Madrid secure top spot in Group C, as Marseille bowed out of the Champions League.

Marseille included Stephane Mbia in the squad, but he only made the bench, as did ex-Real Madrid striker Fernando Morientes. Manuel Pellegrini, meanwhile, handed Rafael van der Vaart another start, leaving Raul and Karim Benzema on the bench.

The hosts needed a win to stand any chance of progressing, so the last thing they wanted was to concede early. Unfortunately for them, on five minutes, Ronaldo stood over a free-kick from 30 yards out, and promptly dispatched a vicious, unstoppable shot, that flew into the right hand corner, leaving Steve Mandanda with no chance, despite him getting his fingertips to it.

It was a cruel blow for Marseille, who needed a quick response to stand any chance. That is exactly what they got on 11 minutes, when Lucho Gonzalez slotted in the rebound, after Albiol had cleared Brandao's header off the line, following a cross from Taye Taiwo.

Marseille were buoyed by the equaliser, and they were looking dangerous, as Brandao had a goal correctly ruled out for offside. They were leaving some gaps at the back, but without much possession, Madrid were playing on the counter. Ronaldo almost scored his second just before the half-hour, but his header hit the post. Gonzalo Higuain pounced on the rebound, only to see Mandanda flap his effort away, before Sergio Ramos' follow-up was deflected over. It was a lucky escape for the hosts, who received further good news with Zurich scoring against Milan.

Both sides had good chances in the final five minutes of the half, with Albiol putting a perfect tackle in on Brandao when he was through on goal, before Ronaldo played a brilliant back-heel for Marcelo, who broke past two defenders before shanking his shot. That proved to be the final action of the first half, with all to play for in the second period.

Marseille had the first chance of the second half, when Brandao was through on goal again having been released by Mamadou Niang, but Iker Casillas came out quickly to smother the ball. Real Madrid then had their say, with Marcelo once again blazing over, this time after Mandanda had parried Van der Vaart's effort from range.

The Brazilian was getting forward with intent, and was thwarted by the keeper yet again on the hour mark, having been set up by Higuain. A goal looked imminent, and it was duly provided on the hour mark, when Gabriel Heinze could only half-clear Van der Vaart's corner, allowing Albiol to smash a half-volley in to the left corner. It as a double blow for Marseille, as news of an equaliser for Milan filtered through almost simultaneously.

Marseille almost responded immediately once more, but Brandao's header from Benoit Cheyrou's corner was deflected on to the roof of the net. From the resulting corner, a virtual instant replay of the previous move occurred, except with Souleymane Diawara's header being deflected by Ramos.

The hosts had clearly not given up, and they were rewarded for their persistence on 66 minutes, when Casillas brought Niang down in the box, after Lucho had played him through over the defence. However, the celebrations around the Velodrome were too soon, as Lucho stepped up to take the penalty, only to smash it against the bar.

That seemed to knock the stuffing out of the hosts, as Albiol came close once more, dragging his shot wide from another corner. It was no surprise when Madrid got their third on 80 minutes, Ronaldo slotting into an empty net after Mandanda made a hash of a long ball from Lassana Diarra.

The match was now over as a contest, and Benzema should have added a fourth, only to pull his shot from the edge of the box wide, after a neat exchange of passes with Ronaldo.

Zinedine Zidane Tips Real Madrid For Champions League Glory; Praises 'Phenomenal' Cristiano Ronaldo

CR9 better than me
Having witnessed Real Madrid's comprehensive win over Marseille from the stands, Zinedine Zidane has claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo has even more tricks than himself. It was a clinical display, and Zizou believes his former side can lift the trophy at the Bernabeu in May...
Former Real Madrid talisman Zinedine Zidane has declared that Los Merengues can go all the way in this seasons UEFA Champions League, and also remarked that current superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is capable of better things in the game than him.

Zidane was speaking after Madrid beat Marseille 3-1 at Stade Velodrome to book their place in the knockout stages of Europe's premier competition with Portuguese winger Ronaldo scoring the opener from an exquisite free-kick before adding the final goal in the latter stages of the game to ensure they topped Group C.

"Lately I am enjoying watching them [Madrid]. The players are impressive. They are playing more like a team now and that is important because there is still three or four months to improve," he said afterwards, according to AS.

"Cristiano is not just good, he is phenomenal, he does better things than I used to do."

Blow for Real Madrid as Cristiano Ronaldo injury shows no improvement

Cristiano Ronaldo may have to have another operation on his ankle

Cristiano Ronaldo may face a further three months out if he is forced to have another operation on his injured ankle. Real Madrid have announced that the Portuguese winger has not showed enough improvement to join the first team squad in training and that he has travelled to Amsterdam to see the Dutch ankle specialist Niek van Dijk.

The news comes as a big blow for the player, his club and his country. Real Madrid have struggled without Ronaldo and play Barcelona at the end of the month while Portugal face World Cup qualifying play-off games against Bosnia-Herzegovina on 14 and 18 November.

It is the same ankle that needed an operation in the summer of 2008, when Ronaldo was still at Manchester United. Real Madrid, meanwhile, have won every game the Portuguese winger has played in but have lost against lowly Alcorcón in the Cup and Milan at home in the Champions League in his absence. "The injury is showing no sign of improving," Real Madrid said in a statement.

Real, whose coach Manuel Pellegrini, is under huge pressure after recent results, trail Barcelona by one point at the top of La Liga, face city rivals Atlético Madrid this weekend. Ronaldo injured his ankle in the Champions League game against Marseille on 30 September with the defender Souleymane Diawara later admitting he was "tormented" by the incident.

Cristiano Ronaldo Wallpaper

Cristiano Ronaldo Press Conference

"Those who are ambitious must always believe they are the favourites to win"

Cristiano Ronaldo talked to the media two days before his first match against

Barcelona as a Real Madrid player.

Do you feel ready to be a starter at Camp Nou?
I think it's normal for me not to be in optimum form right now. I just want to help the

team.

What have you been told of last season's Clasico at the Bernabeu?
I don't like to talk about the past. I don't care what happened because I wasn't there.

I'm concerned about the present. I hope we can defeat Barcelona.

Pellegrini's opening speech today was longer than usual.
That's because he said everything outdoors today. He usually talks to us inside too.

It has nothing to do with the fact that we're about to face Barcelona.

Does the leadership make you favourites to win the match?
I always think there are no favourites. Those who are ambitious must always believe

they are the favourites to win. We have great respect for our opponent, but we

shouldn't be afraid of them. They are a great team, but I don't believe either of us is

the favourite to win.

Do you think the team depends on you?
We are leaders in the two most important competitions, so I don't think the team

depends on me at all. We are doing well and scoring goals. I'd like to help.

Does the fact that the crowd will be against you motivate you even more?
I'm used to that. It was the case for me at every English stadium after Portugal

eliminated England from the 2006 World Cup, but I nevertheless ended up

becoming the best player in the Premiership. I'm just concerened about playing well

on Sunday and about helping the team. I think we can win with or without me.

Are you anxious to play a game like the Clasico?
I'm always anxious; it has nothing to do with the fact that we'll play against

Barcelona. I am ambitious. Every player wants to take part in a Clasico.

What do Real Madrid need to do to win?
We'll have to play well and score more goals than Barcelona.

What do you regard as playing well?
We shouldn't be scared of playing against Barcelona. We'll have to play as we

always do. Barcelona won't attack us in the same way they attack their other

opponents and they will also defend themselves more. I want us to play well, to

keep possession and to have chances on goal.

Would you like Messi to play?
Great footballers should always play if they can. I don't know if he's going to play,

but Barcelona didn't use Messi and Ibrahimovic the other day and they nevertheless

performed very well. The team has a good system in which every footballer plays

well. Messi has unusual quality, but every man on that squad is very good. It will be

a difficult match with or without Messi.

What do you think of your personal fight to be the best player in the world?
I'm not worried about that. I just want to win.

Do you enjoy Real Madrid's style?
I do. I'm relaxed after we win and I sleep very well. The important thing is to win and

it's even better when we do so by playing well.

Why does everyone say Barcelona play better?
Because they do, but can't be doing that badly when you look at the run we are

having.
How many goals would you like to score on Sunday?
Ten, twenty... I don't know if it will be possible though.

Is the match similar to a Manchester United-Liverpool clash?
Classic encounters are similar in every country because fans love them. They are

always special. People have the same passion for them.

How will you prepare for the match?
I always do the same regardless of the opponent. It will be a special encounter

because we'll have the chance of distancing ourselves further from them on the

table. It will be difficult, but we'll try to win.

Your team went through some dire straits while you were injured...
You can't win anything without experiencing difficulties. You have to work hard in

life in order to achieve something and that is just what we are doing. Our style isn't

brilliant, but we are earning the results we want. We are leaders in La Liga and in

the Champions League. We will improve. We must be humble and realise we can

always do better.

Do you feel like you've got unfinished business with Barcelona for losing against

them in the Champions League final?
I've only got unfinished business regarding bills from the water and electric

companies... Barcelona play well, but what happened then is now in the past. I'm at

a new club now and we have a winning mentality.

Doesn't a winner like yourself ever think about the past?
It happened a long time ago. I have to think about the present and the future. The

past is useful to learrn from, but we must always look ahead. We will try to do our

best and win. I have no unfinished business with Barcelona.

Is the squad determined to show the world you can play better than Barcelona?
This isn't a Champions League final. It is a regular game worth three points against

a good opponent. What if we win on Sunday and lose our next clash? Victory would

be pointless then. We have to be regular. It will be hard, I know, and we will face a

strong opponent too.

Do you connect well with Benzema?
Very well, but I don't know if I'm going to play yet. I connect well with everyone; Raul,

Benzema, Higuain...

The crowd slightly whistled and booed at the team on Wednesday...
It had nothing to do with our performance. We were winning. I'm sure we'll improve.

Whom would you rather sign from Barcelona, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi...
None, but they are all very good.

Real Madrid Star Cristiano Ronaldo Not 100 Per Cent Fit For Barcelona Tie

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo is not 100 per cent fit and will play against

Barcelona in El Clasico at Camp Nou on Sunday still suffering pain in the right

ankle that kept him out of action for eight weeks, according to Sport.

It is suggested that although Ronaldo's return to action in the UEFA Champions

League win over Zurich was a successful one the reality is somewhat different. The

player spent a long time warming up on the sideline and in the 24 minutes he did

play he rarely featured as an attacking force anything like what he was before the

injury.

Ronaldo admitted to being tired after the game and coach Manuel Pellegrini is

understood to be aware that the 24-year-old is still experiencing discomfort in the

ankle so if Ronaldo does play it is likely he will be less than his best, which will suit

Barca greatly.

If Pellegrini were to take the decision not to play Ronaldo in this game the pressure

on him is set to intensify. Demands are such at Real Madrid that their prize asset

must be included in the starting lineup for El Clasico and Los Merengues could be

playing with fire as any relapse for Ronaldo could see the winger on the sidelines

once again or possibly even requiring surgery.

Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo was born and raised in a working class neighborhood on the

Portuguese island of Madeira. He officially began playing football in 2003 for Clube

Futebol Andorinha de Santo Antonio. By the age of ten, the islands more prominent

teams began expressing interest in the phenom. Ronaldo joined Nacional da Ilha

da Madeira, where he continued his meteoric rise and one year later was on the

move to Lisbon, where he signed for Sporting in 2001. He is still the only player in

club history to be promoted by four academy teams until debuting with the first team

in one season. Ronaldo scored a brace in his first match against Deportivo

Moreirense and went on to win the Superliga that same year as a mainstay One

season later he made his European debut in a Champions League qualifier against

Inter.

The turning point of his career was a brilliant performance during a friendly against

Manchester United in 2001. Ferguson later admitted that his players couldn’t stop

talking about Ronaldo. Even on the flight back to England, players of the likes of

Roy Keane and Van Nistelrooy insisted that the manager sign Cristiano. The official

announcement was made one week later after ManU paid £12.24 million for his

services; a record transfer fee for an adolescent.

Ronaldo proved his quality during his first year in England in the 2004 FA Cup final;

he scored the first of his team’s three goals, which eventually gave them the trophy.

He became one of the best young players in the world during his second campaign

in England and earned FIFPro’s Special Young Player of the Year award. He

entered Manchester United history on 29 October 2005 by scoring the team’s

1,000nd goal in the Premier League. Ronaldo netted 17 strikes the following year,

becoming the second top-scorer in the Premiership. He also made the

championship’s 2006/07 Team of the Year alongside six other ManU players.

Cristiano Ronaldo perfected his quality in the following years and also managed to

stand out for his intelligence and great physique. He became the top-scoring right

winger in Manchester United’s history in March 2008, breaking legendary George

Best’s 32-goal record of the 1967/68 campaign. This was the first of a series of

achievements, which also included winning the Community Shield, the Premiership

title and the Champions League trophy. On a personal level, he won the Ballon

d’Or, the Golden Boot, the FIFA World Player award, the FIFPro award, the UEFA

Club Forward of the Year distinction, and became the top-scorer of the Champions

League.

At just 24, Ronaldo is the second captain on the Portuguese national team behind

Nuno Gomes. He made his international debut on 20 August 2003 against

Kazakhstan and represented his country in the 2004 Olympic Games of Athens.

Scolrai didn’t count on him much at the start of the Euro 2004, despite the insistence

of fans and journalists, but he eventually became a prominent player on the team,

which lost the final 1-0 against Greece. Ronaldo played at a very high level in the

2006 Germany World Cup, but the team lost against France in the semis and

against Germany in the fight for third place. Portugal lost against Germany again in

the quarterfinals of the Euro 2008.

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS 2008-09

Ronny proud on 'special day'
Cristiano Ronaldo beamed with pride as he reflected on clinching the third Premier League title of his United career.

The Portuguese winger, United's top scorer for a third successive season, revelled in the post-match celebrations after the Reds' draw with Arsenal had given the reigning champions an unassailable lead at the head of the table.

"It's unbelievable, it's a special day," Ronaldo told MUTV. "We've won the league again and now we get to celebrate with our families. I'm enjoying it a lot. It's a fantastic achievement. It's not easy to win three times, the lads worked for that and it's a special, special moment. We have to enjoy the moment."

The Reds' triumph secured an 18th league title, equalling the longstanding record of Liverpool, but Ronaldo admits United need only concentrate on winning more silverware.

"We don't need to care about other teams," he said. "It's always good to be on the top, and we are in a good moment. We've won a few things and this club needs to carry on. It doesn't matter which players are here or which coach is here, the mentality of this club is always to win. I'm looking forward, and proud to be in the history of this team."

With one half of last season's Double now safely retained, United's attentions will now switch to overcoming Barcelona in the Champions League final. Should the Reds reign in Rome, Ronaldo believes this campaign can be held in the fondest regard, admitting: "If we win that then it's an unbelievable year."

Ronaldo helps ManU Cross One More Hurdle To Be The English Champions

Man United 2
Ronaldo (18), Tevez (45)
Man City 0




United now need just four points from three games to win a third successive league title after the Reds brushed aside Mark Hughes’ men in the Manchester derby on Sunday.
First-half goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez sealed the points on a day when United’s back four were rarely troubled. The Blues were no match for a United side determined to regain top spot after Liverpool’s win at West Ham on Saturday had sent the Scousers temporarily to the summit.

Now, however, three points clear and with a game in hand, the Reds are favourites to secure an 11th Premier League trophy and could do so at Old Trafford next Saturday should Sir Alex's men beat Wigan Athletic on Wednesday night.

For Sunday's derby battle, the United boss made five changes to the side that beat Arsenal at the Emirates on Tuesday. Jonny Evans and Rafael came into the back four for Rio Ferdinand and John O’Shea, while Ryan Giggs slotted into the centre of midfield. Up front, Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov started together for the 11th time in the league this season.

It was Ji-sung Park who had the first chance of the game. The South Korean, who’s scored in United’s last two matches, collected Ronaldo’s knock-down inside the box on three minutes but dragged his shot wide of Shay Given’s right-hand post.

The Reds enjoyed a lot of early possession and both Tevez and Ronaldo tested Given in the opening 10 minutes. City looked dangerous on occasion too, Robinho proving a handful for young Rafael at right back.

But it was United who went in
front and it was that man Ronaldo with yet another free-kick. Against Arsenal in midweek he’d scored from 41 yards; this time it was a mere 28. Slightly left of centre, Ronaldo struck the ball sweetly and it flew goalwards, nicking Nigel de Jong on the end of the wall before bouncing once and nestling in the back of Given’s net.

Carlos Tevez almost added a second just after the half-hour with a brilliant effort that cannoned off the frame of the goal from the corner of the penalty area. The Argentinean, subject to intense pre-match speculation surrounding his future at Old Trafford, worked hard all afternoon and was involved in many of the Reds’ best attacking forays.

Indeed, it was Tevez who provided the final flourish to round off a superb move on the stroke of half-time and send the Reds 2-0 up. Darren Fletcher pumped a long ball forward, which Dimitar Berbatov cushioned with the delicacy of a father cradling his newborn. The Bulgarian then rolled the ball across the edge of the box to Tevez, who took two touches before rifling into the net off the inside of Given’s left-hand post.

The second goal was thoroughly deserved after a half in which United had dominated possession and continually found space in the final third. At the back, too, the Reds had looked solid with Nemanja Vidic marshalling the defence in Rio Ferdinand’s absence. One full-bloodied yet perfectly-timed sliding challenge exemplified why the Serbian centre-back is hotly tipped to win the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award next weekend.

Neither manager made substitutions at half-time – Sir Alex certainly
had no reason to – although City emerged from the break determined to pull a goal back. Robinho was presented with a golden chance to do just that on 50 minutes, but fired over from 10 yards. At the other end, Rafael’s cross-come-shot had Given scrambling momentarily as the ball looped onto the roof of the net.

With an hour gone, Sir Alex withdrew Ji-sung Park and Cristiano Ronaldo, who despite scoring the Reds’ opener had struggled to assert himself on the game. Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney entered the fray, with Rooney taking Park’s place on the right and Giggs shifting onto the opposite wing to make way for Scholes in the centre. There he joined Darren Fletcher, who was superb all day and won countless tackles and loose balls.

City’s search for a goal continued but substitute Martin Petrov’s late strike from distance, which drew a stunning finger-tip save from Edwin van der Sar, was as close as the visitors came. It wasn't a classic Manchester derby, nor a classic performance from the Reds, but the three points Sir Alex's side gained from the match take United to within touching distance of yet more silverware.