Former partner and close friend of Cristiano Ronaldo since their Manchester United days, Rio Ferdinand has revealed a heavy secret about Ronaldo Nazario, the Brazilian. According to the legendary English defender, R9 does not like CR7 at all because of his name.
Cristiano Ronaldo has many admirers and detractors around the world. Despite his unmatched achievements in modern football, the Portuguese forward does not please everyone. Known for his eccentric side, the former Real Madrid star pays no attention to his declared opponents or those in the shadows. After celebrating his 40th birthday at the beginning of last February, the current captain of Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia proclaimed himself as the most complete footballer and thus the best in history. Quickly, Ronaldo Nazario or Ronaldo R9 jumped to reject this statement.
Ferdinand’s interesting confidences
According to the other Madrid legend, Cristiano is only in the top 10 best footballers in history and not the GOAT (as he is often called). Before this statement from the former Brazilian player, Karim Benzema had also rejected CR7’s proclamation. According to the French forward who was long in Cristiano’s shadow at Real, it is Ronaldo Nazario who is the most complete player in history, even though, statistically, CR7 far surpasses all of them. As the debate intensifies, Rio Ferdinand has broken the silence.
Clearly, the former Manchester United defender, who hosts his own podcast on YouTube, clearly indicates why Ronaldo the Brazilian seems to hold a grudge against Cristiano. For Ferdinand, R9 is jealous of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. “There is something in the Brazilian towards Cristiano, maybe because of the name, as if he said: ‘You took my name’, so I have a problem with you,” reveals the former England international, who then goes on to back up his opinion with another big name in modern football.
“I also see this thing with Henry, because when I see him talk about Cristiano, he speaks about him and he is not enthusiastic...”, continues Rio Ferdinand, who recounts a clash between CR7 and the former Arsenal forward. “It seems he underestimates his importance a lot. There was a clip at Highbury where Henry went to provoke Cristiano, but he pushed him back, then Cristiano scored the winning goal for Manchester United in that match… Photos of Henry during the kick-off spread, and Cristiano’s name was in the background of the field after scoring. I think that story is still etched in Henry’s mind and he still thinks about that moment.”
The endless debate
It must be said, Rio’s opinion is quite pertinent, especially knowing that there is a great rivalry among the big names in football. Today, in the case of Ronaldo Nazario, one can understand that there is this feeling of pain seeing another player bearing his name stealing the spotlight. Globally, the double Ballon d’Or (1997 and 2002) was one of the favourite references for several forwards. But in recent years, it is the Portuguese forward who has conquered hearts and is increasingly cited as a reference. Currently set to establish the record of 1,000 goals in football history, CR7 will win more hearts if he achieves this feat.
If The Real Ronaldo (the Brazilian) does not truly appreciate the Portuguese forward because his history is overshadowing his own, it would be a lack of fair play. In any case, the debate over the greatest player of all time will not end anytime soon. With a player like Lionel Messi who has also achieved monstrous feats, there will always be heated debates over who is the GOAT. Wait and see…
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