"I wouldn’t have feared" – Fabio Cannavaro claims Cristiano Ronaldo would have found it "tough" facing him in his prime
Italy World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro has stated how he wouldn't have feared Cristiano Ronaldo. He revealed that Serie A in 1990s was better than the Premier League today.
Cannavaro was asked about Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo but responded with little or no fear.
Here's what he said:
"Aubameyang is also a terrific player, like Ronaldo. But I wouldn’t have feared them. Against prime Cannavaro, it would have been tough for anyone."
The summer transfer window reiterated that the biggest stars in world football want to play in the Premier League. From Cristiano Ronaldo to Romelu Lukaku, England is home to behemoths in world football, and the competition is getting tougher each year.
Similarly, Cannavaro pointed out how Italy was the undisputed home of football in the 90s. Some of the finest players to have ever graced the game, including Alessandro Del Piero, Francesco Totti, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo, played in Italy.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 100th Manchester United goal on this day in 2008.
Thirteen years on, not much has changed 🤷♂️ https://t.co/pVVQv4FsDM
Serie A teams dominated world football and won 13 European trophies in the decade. Furthermore, Serie A teams broke the world transfer record six times and witnessed the same number of Ballon d’Or winners.
Cannavaro further added:
"That Serie A [was better]. It had many great players and from an international level. Every team was blessed with top players and there were seven or eight teams who boasted the world’s best footballers. I saw some interesting games [in England], others less but it’s a type of football which has the potential to grow even more."
He added:
"This Premier League has an important organisation, some teams have elite players and great managers but in terms of quality players that Serie A was superior."
Cristiano Ronaldo's second stint in the Premier League with Manchester United has witnessed an array of myriad emotions
Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Manchester United was the homecoming author's pen novel about.
The Portuguese prodigy's transfer to England attracted all the attention to the Premier League. The former Juventus forward didn't disappoint and managed to bag a brace in his first match for Manchester United. It came in a 4-1 win over Newcastle United.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s game by numbers vs. Newcastle:
62 touches
17 final third passes completed
8 touches in opp. box
6 shots
4 penalty area entries
2 ball recoveries
2 shots on target
2 goals
1 chance created
He’s back. 👋 https://t.co/rt3PTxphfi
The undisputed king of the Champions League also scored clutch goals against Villarreal and Atalanta. He reiterated his pedigree for grand European tournaments.
Sadly, despite all his accomplishments, Manchester United find themselves in turbulent waters. They have won just two of their last six Premier League outings and currently sit in sixth spot, nine points behind leaders Chelsea.
This is in stark contrast to their second-place finish last season. Cristiano Ronaldo's addition has bolstered the squad's attack. However, The Red Devils' midfield and defense have been a matter of much concern.
So much so that The Red Devils have been linked to several central defenders and midfielders. Manchester United have been linked with Sevilla's Jule Kounde and are willing to trigger his release clause of €80 million to get rid of Harry Maguire.
The Old Trafford side return to Premier League action on November 20 when they take on Watford to try and turn their fortunes around.