“I was flabbergasted” – Javi Garcia opens up on experience of training alongside ‘animal’ Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid
Former Real Madrid midfielder Javi Garcia has revealed what it's really like to train with Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Spaniard left the Santiago Bernabeu in 2009 for Benfica. The same summer, Los Blancos paid a then-world-record fee of nearly €100 million to Manchester United for the Portuguese superstar.
Ronaldo went on to become one of the greatest players of all time, winning four Ballon d'Ors and four Champions League titles at Madrid. The forward netted an extraordinary 450 goals in 439 games for Real Madrid and is their all-time top scorer.
According to The Athletic, he became the leading scorer in the history of professional football in March, with his current total up to 828.
10 years ago today, Mourinho's Real Madrid beat Pep's Barcelona at Camp Nou in a title decider and Cristiano Ronaldo did the "Calma, calma" celebration for the first time.
Peak El Classico.
https://t.co/VyyH4dxZoo
Garcia joined Benfica shortly after Ronaldo arrived in the Spanish capital, but did have the opportunity to train with him on a number of occasions.
The former Spain midfielder now plays Boavista, and he told AS, as per A Bola:
"I left that pre-season for Benfica but I still trained a few times with Cristiano Ronaldo. I was just flabbergasted, it was inevitable, and I think it happened to all players. All I could think about was where that animal had come from, his ability to dribble was incredible, his movements in short spaces (too).”
Congrats to @Cristiano on his 50th club hattrick.
44 of them for Real Madrid. 🤯🐐 https://t.co/FlXhLg1x4r
Cristiano Ronaldo's former side Real Madrid look ahead to Champions League semi-final
Garcia also played for Manchester City between 2012 and 2014. His two former sides go head-to-head at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, 26 April, in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final.
Domestically, the La Liga leaders only need five points to clinch their 34th Spanish top-flight title. They are 15 points ahead of second-placed Barcelona, who have a game in hand.
City, meanwhile, are under far more pressure in the Premier League. Pep Guardiola's team are just a point clear of second-placed Liverpool, who have won 11 out of their last 12 top-flight games.
The Cityzens are still searching for their first Champions League title. They came desperately close to winning Europe's premier club competition last season. However, they ultimately fell short with a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in the final in Porto.
They edged past Madrid's city rivals Atletico Madrid in an ill-tempered quarter-final tie to progress to the last four.
Carlo Ancelotti's side haven't had it easy on their route to the semi-finals. They had two hard-earned and thrilling victories over Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea in successive knockout rounds. The 13-time European champions will host the Sky Blues a week after their clash at the Etihad in the return leg.
Everything indicates that Pep Guardiola will have his desired striker in Erling Haaland at #ManCity in July. @ManCity have also further received encouragement in the frontman chase as Real Madrid ‘cool down’ their efforts to sign him.
[@partidazocope via @Sport_Witness]