Cristiano Ronaldo
Fabio Capello: Real Madrid’s Eden Hazard has sunk under weight of expectations
Eden Hazard has struggled to deal with the weight of the Real Madrid shirt following his high-profile move from Chelsea, former Real manager Fabio Capello has said. Hazard joined the Spanish club from Chelsea on a five-year contract for a reported 100 million euros ($116.54 million) ahead of the 2019-20 season. The Belgium international inspired Chelsea to two Premier League trophies during his time at Stamford Bridge but has failed to hit similar heights in Spain, with injuries limiting him to 21 appearances in all competitions this season. “He hasn’t been the player he was at Chelsea and he was injured for a long time, he hasn’t adapted,” Capello told Marca. “I’ve always thought of him as a great player but the Real shirt weighs heavily and Hazard has sunk this year. It’s clear that he’l...
Michel Platini: Paulo Dybala is more Maradona
Getty Images Michel Platini has hailed Paulo Dybala for matching his Serie A stats with Juventus but considers him more ‘Maradona-esque’ than like him. Dybala now sits on 157 appearances and 68 goals for Juve in the top flight, putting him on par with the numbers Platini recorded between 1982 and 1987. “Avvocato [Gianni Agnelli] is no longer with us so I can’t make him say things he might not have, but yes… if he liked Sivori, I think he’d have appreciated Dybala greatly,” the Frenchman told Gazzetta dello Sport. “The Argentine’s very good on the pitch and he’s fresh-faced. He comes across as a likeable lad. “It’s interesting that he’s matched me for goals and appearances in Serie A. Figures are one thing, but we’re different players. “I always try to avoid comparisons, but I can say that ...
Sergio Ramos becomes LaLiga’s all-time top scoring defender
Sergio Ramos’ goal in Sunday’s 2-1 win over Real Sociedad means the Real Madrid captain has become the highest-scoring defender in all of LaLiga history. Ramos’ seventh goal of the current LaLiga Santander season saw him pass Barcelona legend Ronald Koeman and move to 68 career goals in the most demanding league tournament around. The Andalusian has also scored against all 20 current LaLiga teams and his total includes an impressive range of finishes, from towering headers to long-range pile-drivers, and more recently a dead-eye from the penalty spot. Such a talent for goal-getting has been a constant for the center-back, who often featured further up the field while he was developing through his teenage years at boyhood club Sevilla. His first LaLiga goal came in September 2004, in a 2-1 ...
‘What Ronaldo did for Manchester United’: Rooney raves about £200k-per-week Liverpool star
Former England striker Wayne Rooney has showered heaps of praise on Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah ahead of Sunday’s Merseyside derby clash. Rooney has included Salah in his best Everton and Liverpool XI he has played with and against while writing in his column for The Sunday Times. The former Everton striker feels that the 28-year-old winger has been playing at the peak of his form, and has compared his impact at Liverpool to that of Cristiano Ronaldo during the Portuguese’s time at Manchester United. While Rooney feels that Salah doesn’t put enough defensive shifts, he is a threat for opposition defenders and midfielders. Rooney wrote for The Times: “Mo Salahis starting to do what Ronaldo did for Manchester United, in terms of just being there and not really getting back to defend but a...
Newcastle to spend €135 million on Italian striker
Newcastle United are working on becoming one of the biggest club’s in England and are ready to spend €135m in total to snap up Italian international, Ciro Immobile, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. The Magpies are close to selling the club to a Saudi investor and the Public Investment Fund willing to make a statement signing. Immobile has scored 27 goals in 26 Serie A matches this term and leads more establish goalscorers like Cristiano Ronaldo and Edin Dzeko. Interestingly, Immobile’s contract with Lazio expires in June 2023 but Italian media have claimed that the club is looking at offering him a new bumper new deal at the Olimpico that will scare away potential buyers. Lazio President Claudio Lotito wants the forward’s contract to be extended until 2025 and is prepared to offer €4m...
Wayne Rooney: Park was just as important to Manchester United as Cristiano Ronaldo
Getty Images Wayne Rooney has said that former Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung was just as crucial to the club’s success as Cristiano Ronaldo, with the South Korean’s willingness to sacrifice himself for the team as a whole critical to lifting titles. Park and Ronaldo spent four years together at Old Trafford, winning three consecutive Premier League trophies, a League Cup and the Champions League in that time before the latter left the club for Real Madrid in 2009. And while Ronaldo’s goals, skills, speed and trickery will always be at the top of the highlight reel when looking back at that side, Rooney feels that Park’s contributions were just as important as that of the Portuguese icon. “It’s crazy but if you mentioned Cristiano Ronaldo to a 12-year-old, they would immediately...
