“Anyone who says Cristiano Ronaldo is bad is foolish" - Barcelona star Pedri makes claim about Al-Nassr superstar
Barcelona midfielder Pedri has said that any individual who criticizes legendary Cristiano Ronaldo for his on-field prowess has no understanding of football.
During an interview with Twitch streamer Ibai Llanos, the Spanish midfielder spoke about numerous things. From Lionel Messi to Robert Lewandowski, the 21-year-old answered a lot of questions. He also made a statement about Messi's arch-rival Ronaldo, saying:
“Anyone who says Cristiano Ronaldo is bad is foolish and knows nothing about football.”
A lot of eyebrows were raised when Cristiano Ronaldo joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr in January 2023. However, in last year's summer transfer window, football stars such as Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, and Riyad Mahrez joined the Middle Eastern football league.
Moreover, Cristiano Ronaldo ended 2023 as the top scorer with 54 goals. He left behind the likes of Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe and Bayern Munich's Harry Kane, who scored 52 goals each.
On the other side, Barcelona midfielder Pedri is currently sidelined from action due to a muscle injury he suffered during training last month. Pedri and Ronaldo have faced off three times against each other for club and country — winning, losing, and drawing once respectively.
Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez lauds Vitor Roque for his attacking prowess
Barcelona have successfully registered Vitor Roque as a first-team player. As a result, he will be playing for La Bluagrana in the La Liga and UEFA Champions League this season. The young Brazilian will be wearing number 19, which was most recently donned by Franck Kessie in the 2022/23 season.
Upon Roque's registration with the first team, Xavi Hernandez lauded the Athletico Paranaense player's versatility as an attacker, saying that the whole team would benefit from the 18-year-old's skillset. He said (via Football Espana):
“Vitor can adapt to any position in the attack, he can play out wide, as a nine. As for the row, perhaps it has been given more importance than it needs, it was something more for the whole group.”
Vitor Roque made 54 appearances in the Brazilian Seria A, where he bagged 14 goals and four assists. He has joined La Bluagrana for a reported transfer fee of €40 million.
Talking about Barcelona, they are currently in the fourth spot in La Liga with 38 points after 18 matches, 10 points behind Real Madrid and Girona, who are on the first and second spots respectively, with 48 points in 19 games.