“We started laughing” – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge recollects 'gesture' that shows Cristiano Ronaldo's elite mentality
Former Bayern Munich director Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has shared a story about Cristiano Ronaldo's time in Juventus. The German legend recollected a moment on the training pitch where he was impressed by the Portuguese superstar.
According to Rummenigge, Cristiano Ronaldo was notably preparing gestures for a goal celebration during training. The Bayern Munich executive impressed by the forward's physique and found his immense confidence humorous.
"Once, I visited Juventus’ training ground and I was impressed by his [Cristiano Ronaldo] muscles. He has the body of a 22-year-old guy. He was preparing the gestures for a goal celebration and we started laughing. I told him: ‘What are you doing?’ and he said: ‘How will I celebrate when I score the next one," revealed Rummenigge.
Rummenigge also questioned the mindset of some Juventus fans who were glad to be rid of Cristiano Ronaldo. While some saw his move to United as an economic relief for the Turin giants, their current struggle in Serie A shows the club is clearly missing Ronaldo's impact.
Cristiano Ronaldo's former club Juventus are in relegation after Ronaldo left and have had their worst start in history.
He was never the problem. https://t.co/ofvGbHbOpQ
For Rummenigge, people are merely repeating the same mistakes:
“It’s the same thing that somebody thought in Madrid when Cristiano Ronaldo was sold in 2018. They thought they had freed themselves from an economic burden, but Ronaldo keeps scoring consistently."
“He is proving so at Manchester United, Atalanta know something about it. Perhaps, Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t feel the love from the fans or the club. They had to find an economical solution and maybe, in the end, both Juventus and Ronaldo were happy to part ways," he added.
Now plying his trade at Old Trafford after his return to Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored nine goals in 12 games for the Red Devils. Although United are currently struggling, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on the line for a sack, the Portuguese maestro has been brilliant.
Apart from Cristiano Ronaldo, Rummenigge also had praise for Inter Milan and Inzaghi
With Inter currently sitting 7 points behind the league leaders in Serie A, Simone Inzaghi has received praise from Rummenigge. The club is currently defending the title after winning their first Scudetto in 11 years. But after selling key players and losing Antonio Conte, there were worries that the Nerazzurri would struggle this season.
Simone Inzaghi insists Inter ‘deserved far more’ than a point in the Milan Derby, especially after failing to convert a penalty, and explains the spot-kick hierarchy football-italia.net/inzaghi-inter-… #FCIM #ACMilan #SerieA #MilanInter #SerieATIM #Calcio
However, the former Bayern director still believes that Inter still have a strong chance at another Scudetto:
“Simone Inzaghi is a good coach and I immediately noticed it. Bayern Munich played against his Lazio side in the past and even if we always won, we saw his hand."
“Even if some important players left over the summer, Inter made smart signings and picked the right coach. It’s important for clubs from Milano to be protagonists again," he concluded.