“I don’t care if you are 70%, you are better than the others” - When ex-Real Madrid star shared what Cristiano Ronaldo told him before UCL final
Back in 2022, former Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira revealed what Cristiano Ronaldo told him ahead of the 2014 UEFA Champions League final. The German had joined the legendary forward at Madrid in 2010 after completing a reported €14 million move from Stuttgart.
Khedira played alongside the five-time Ballon d'Or winner in the Spanish capital for five years before reuniting with him at Juventus. He played 11619 minutes with the Portuguese superstar across 174 games and combined with him for seven goals.
Speaking about the Los Blancos legend on the Gab and Jules podcast, he reminisced about the build-up to the Spanish giant's 10th UEFA Champions League title, saying:
"A week before the game I had a shower before training and Cristiano came in and said, ‘Sami we need you.’ ‘I don’t care if you are 70% - we need you on the pitch, you are better than the others. We need you’. That gave me so much confidence, it was so special to hear that from Cristiano."
Cristiano Ronaldo went on to win three more UEFA Champions League titles with Real Madrid and went on to become their most prolific player ever.
Cristiano Ronaldo's legacy at Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo is a bonafide Real Madrid legend following his exploits at the club during a fruitful nine-year spell. The Portuguese superstar joined the club for a reported world record fee of €94 million and became the highest goalscorer in the iconic club's history.
Ronaldo helped the club to some of their best years in modern history, helping the team to four UEFA Champions League titles, two Copa del Rey, and two LaLiga titles.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored 451 goals in 438 games for Real Madrid to become the most prolific player in the club's history. He was rewarded for his exploits with four Ballons d'Or during his time with the Spanish giants.
Ronaldo left Los Blancos in 2018 for Juventus in a reported €117 million deal, making it one of the best pieces of business in the sport's history. He currently plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.