Ronaldo on Ashley Cole
Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed that the strongest opponent he has come against is Ashley Cole. He said that the former Arsenal player was one of the toughest players he has played against. Both players had met several times when Ronaldo was at Manchester United and Cole at Arsenal.
Ronaldo said that Ashley Cole does not give you a minute to breathe and that he is always on your back. He said that he has played against different opponents in the Premier League, La Liga, and the Champions League but Ashley Cole is definitely the toughest opponent he has ever faced.
He said that he enjoyed his time in the Premier League and that the atmosphere is so different from what you can get in Europe. He said that fans in England live and breathe football and that you could clearly see that in the way they support their team. He stated that he has spent some good years in the Premier League and that he will cherish these memories all his career.
When asked about the player he admires most he said that it was Lionel Messi. Ronaldo said that although the media want to make it appear that there is a big rivalry between the two players he said that this was not the case. He said that Messi and himself and two great competitors, but there is a great respect between both players. Unlike what the media says, he said that there is no conflict between Lionel Messi and him and that he only focus on his football.
Ronaldo said that he is training hard in order to come back to his best level after the injury he sustained in the Euro 2016 final in France. He said that it was a disappointment for him, but he is happy that his country has won the trophy.