Clarence Seedorf backs Cristiano Ronaldo to equal his unique Champions League record
Clarence Seedorf believes that Cristiano Ronaldo can equal his record of winning the UEFA Champions League with three different teams.
Seedorf won his first Champions League with Ajax in the 1994/95 season, as a part of a talented Ajax side which sent shockwaves across Europe. He then joined Real Madrid in the summer of 1996, and lifted the fabled trophy again in the 1997/98 season.
Seedorf also won the Champions League twice with AC Milan -- in the 2002/03 and 2006/07 seasons. The Dutchman believes that Ronaldo, who has won the trophy with two different clubs so far, can equal his achievement.
Ronaldo won his first UEFA Champions League with Manchester United in the 2007/08 season. He next lifted the trophy in Real Madrid colours, winning the premier European club competition 4 times during his 9 years at the Bernabeu.
Ronaldo shifted base to Juventus in the summer of 2018, but has failed to progress beyond the quarter-final stages of the competition so far. However, the Dutchman believes that with Ronaldo leading the line, Juventus will win the UEFA Champions League eventually.
Seedorf will be pleased to see Ronaldo equal his record
Seedorf seemed hardly bothered about the prospect of sharing his unique achievement with Ronaldo. Speaking to Goal, the Dutchman insisted that he would be pleased to see the Portuguese equal his record. He said:
"It'll be a very nice pleasure to have Cristiano Ronaldo equalling my record. We could've talked about somebody different, right? So, I don't think it's a bad thing."
The former Ajax player is happy to be the first player to achieve the feat and believes records are meant to be broken. He also revealed that he had high hopes from Ronaldo’s Juventus, and praised the Portuguese for his consistency. He said:
"I will always be the first and that won't change, and records are there to be equalled and to be broken, and Juventus can definitely always be competitors for the Champions League. As I said before, Cristiano is maintaining his motivation and his performances, so yeah. Why not?"
The Dutchman hopes to see Ronaldo and Lionel Messi continue their rivalry and their dominance on the Ballon d’Or and FIFA’s The Best Awards. But he also believes that the next generation has some amazing talents who would rule the football world soon. He insisted that there are quite a few gifted players ready to take the baton from Messi and Ronaldo, but what sets those two players apart is their ability to be consistently outstanding in what they do.
"So, it's about the consistency which Messi and Ronaldo have shown. Cristiano has shown all the players that they can be consistent over the years at that level and that's a mentality thing, that's a motivation and drive that champions have. Let's hope to see more," Seedorf said.