There is no denying the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best to ever grace the game of football. The Portuguese superstar has been in the limelight for the most part of his career, and more recently so especially after his exit from Old Trafford and his unforeseen move to the Saudi club Al-Nassr.
Apart from his abilities on the field, he is often considered an inspiration for his fitness regime. Over the years, players and pundits alike have lauded his always-winning mentality and his discipline off the field. The recent one to do so was his former Juventus teammate Arthur Melo. Let us find out what the Brazilian had to say!
Cristiano Ronaldo gets praised for “very professional” Juventus stint
Arthur Melo joined the Turin club which included the swap deal of Miralem Pjanic to FC Barcelona in the summer of 2020. The Brazilian has been lucky enough to play alongside some of the greats of the game such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar. The 26-year-old midfielder shared the dressing room with the Portuguese superstar during his Juventus days.
Talking about Cristiano Ronaldo, Arthur said “As an athlete and as a person, he is spectacular. He tries to improve every day. I remember that when we met at Juventus, in the dining room, he always looked at the rest of our plates and joked about what we had to eat.”
The midfielder further added “He is very professional. We had never before seen someone with his mentality. And as a player, there are the results.”
#ArthurMelo discussing #CristianoRonaldo
— 🎥 The AJC 🏳️🏴 (@The_AJC_) July 4, 2023
“As I an athlete he was spectacular. I remember the first time I met him after training in the dining room, he would look at all of our plates and make fun of us. I’ve never seen anyone with that mentality” (@mundodeportivo ) pic.twitter.com/pD5ws8soPp
Gareth Bale recently unveiled his Ronaldo assessment
Another player to hail the five times Ballon d’Or winner is Gareth Bale, who shared the pitch alongside the Portuguese talisman during his glory days at Real Madrid. The duo helped Los Blancos win multiple trophies including 4 Champions League titles.
The Welsh superstar announced his retirement earlier this year after playing for esteemed clubs like Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur. The announcement of his retirement came after having a disappointing stint at the 2022 World Cup where Wales crashed out during the group stages.
Before his retirement, the 31-year-old Welsh winger had a stint with Los Angeles FC. Talking about the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, the Welshman said “He was actually okay. He had his moments where for example, if we win five nil and he didn’t score, he comes in and throws his boots like he was angry.” Bale also added, “He was a nice guy, we didn’t really have any problems, and he has a good mentality.”
Gareth Bale spoke on Cristiano Ronaldo's mentality. pic.twitter.com/HLqESiYxuJ
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 30, 2023
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has shared the pitch with a lot of great players both as his teammates and as his opponents. Before venturing off to the Middle-East, Ronaldo has played and won titles with several esteemed clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. After his departure from European football, millions of fans worldwide were somewhat disappointed; nonetheless, we can safely say that they are excited to be a part of the new chapter in the Portuguese icon’s illustrious career.
