Ronaldo prefers trophies over records

Madrid, Dec 11 (IANS) Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo made Champions League history Tuesday night when he scored in his side’s 2-0 win in Copenhagen.

Ronaldo‘s goal, the second of the night, was significant, not just because it helped Madrid to seal the victory, but because it saw him set a new record for the number of goals scored in the group stage of the competition.

Ronaldo has scored nine goals in this season’s Champions League, beating the previous best of eight, which he had shared with a group of elite players including Paris Saint Germain’s Zlatan Ibrahomovich.

“I’m very happy with my nine goals,” said Ronaldo in the Spanish press Wednesday, adding that although he was pleased with his achievement, records on their own were not worth all that much.

“All I did was help the team by scoring,” he said. “I wanted to score on this occasion because of the record. But I don’t get obsessed by records, I care more about winning trophies,” said the striker, who is now just five goals behind Lionel Messi‘s total of 65 goals in the Champions League and 11 off that of all time record holder, Raul Gonzalez.

Ronaldo has now netted nine goals in the Champions League, 17 in the BBVA Primera Liga and of course, scored a hat-trick which helped Portugal qualify for next summer’s World Cup finals.

“I feel very good and I feel I am useful to the team and that my play is getting smoother all of the time. I want to carry on enjoying that,” he said.

Ronaldo’s goals comes on his return from a thigh injury and although he was not impressed by the heavy pitch in Copenhagen, he was content he had not felt any problems with his muscle.

“I have to take it one step at a time. After such a long time away it took me a while to get back to my maximum level of performance. I’m not at my perfect fitness level yet,” he commented.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti admitted after the game that he wanted to avoid being drawn against English side Manchester City in the last 16 of the competition when the draw is made Friday, but Ronaldo said he had no preferences.

“Every team in the tournament is good,” he said.