Cristiano Ronaldo, the Al-Nassr superstar, once declared he would never exchange jerseys with players from AS Roma. The 39-year-old pointed to their response during Manchester United’s 7-1 demolition of Roma in the second leg of the 2007 Champions League quarter-finals as the reason behind this decision.
While Roma had won the first leg 2-1, Ronaldo and his teammates ruthlessly dismantled them in the return fixture, with the Portuguese forward scoring twice. Reflecting on that night, Ronaldo revealed in 2018 that some Roma players reacted emotionally to the thrashing. Speaking to the Daily Express, he shared:
“When it was 6-0, they asked me to stop, an opponent begged me to stop dribbling. Others threatened to hurt me. Roma? There is no player with whom I would exchange a shirt.”
Later reports confirmed that Ronaldo never swapped jerseys with Roma players during his time in Italy with Juventus. Over his career, Ronaldo has dominated matches against the Giallorossi, winning nine out of 12 encounters and contributing 10 goals and two assists.
Mohamed Salah Backed to Succeed Cristiano Ronaldo as Saudi Pro League’s Biggest Star
Former Manchester United winger Lee Sharpe believes Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah could surpass Cristiano Ronaldo as the marquee name in the Saudi Pro League if he moves there. Speaking to Racing Tipster, Sharpe explained:
“I can only imagine Mohamed Salah would go to Saudi Arabia, as I don’t think anyone else will be able to afford him. There’s also nowhere else he could go in Europe that’s a bigger club, with a bigger fanbase, crowd, and atmosphere than he has at Liverpool.”
Sharpe added that Salah, at 31 years old, remains in peak condition and could dominate the league:
“We see Cristiano Ronaldo doing well over there, but I think Salah is a better player and a bigger name than him these days.”
Salah, currently in the final year of his Liverpool contract, has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia in recent transfer windows. If the deal materializes, it could mark a new chapter for the Saudi Pro League, which has already attracted stars like Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Neymar, and N’Golo Kanté.
SOURCE: Sportkeeda.com