“Football sometimes has to be fair and today it was” - Cristiano Ronaldo on why he has ‘already forgotten’ missed penalty for Portugal vs Slovenia
Cristiano Ronaldo went candid with his thoughts after missing a crucial penalty for Portugal against Slovenia in the Euro 2024 Round of 16 clash. The Portuguese focused on the final result as Portugal secured their place in the quarter-final.
In a post-match interview as quoted by O'Jogo, Ronaldo said he is no longer thinking about his missed penalty due to the win. He believed football was fair to him this time after he lost twice due to penalties earlier this year.
"Those who fail are those who try too. Obviously it's frustrating when we can't score. But I've already forgotten about it, because the final result was positive and that's the most important thing. Sometimes it's difficult to score penalties, but I lost twice this year on penalties, today I won, football sometimes has to be fair and today it was fair." Ronaldo said.
Cristiano Ronaldo was referring to two significant losses with Al-Nassr. The first instance was when the Saudi League giants lost to Al-Hilal 5-4 on penalties in the King's Cup final on May 31 after a 1-1 draw.
The second instance was Al Nassr's defeat to Al Ain 3-1 on penalties in the AFC Champions League quarter-finals after a 4-4 aggregate draw on March 12. In both instances, Ronaldo was able to convert his penalty kick during the shootouts.
Speaking further after Portugal's win over Slovenia, Cristiano Ronaldo thanked his fans for always being with him, admitting he's happy about it. He also explained why he was in tears after missing the chance to give the Selecao a lead in the 105th minute.
"I get emotional because these are unique moments, which I can't express in words. The fans are always with us and especially with me, I'm very happy about that." he added.
Portugal will face France in the Euro 2024 quarter-final on July 6 at Hamsburg.
Cristiano Ronaldo talked about Portugal facing France in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals
Speaking about facing France in the quarter final, Cristiano Ronaldo said he's ready to go to war against Les Bleus.
"We have a tough game now against France, who are one of the favourites to win. But we're going to war, the team is doing well and I'll always give my best in this shirt." Cristiano said.
The Portuguese talisman did not shy away from taking responsibility for his failure and explained why he was brave enough to go first in the penalty shootout against Slovenia despite missing one minutes ago.
"I missed the penalty but I wanted to be the first to score, because you have to take responsibility. I've never been afraid to face the usual things." the Al Nassr star said.
Cristiano Ronaldo is yet to score a goal in the Euro 2024 and he will be desperate to find the back of the net in the quarter-final.