Serie A news: Ronaldo won Ballon d’Or and thinks he has the right to do what he did, says Florenzi in response to Juventus star's jibe
What's the story?
AS Roma captain Alessandro Florenzi has responded to Cristiano Ronaldo's mockery of his height during their 2-0 win over Juventus in the Serie A on Sunday.
In case you didn't know...
Ronaldo was caught mocking Florenzi for his stature during Juventus' 2-0 defeat to Roma at the Stadio Olimpico last night.
The Roma captain was seen embroiled in an altercation with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner before being ushered away by match official Davide Massa.
Ronaldo was then seen shushing Florenzi before making fun of his height with a gesture and a comment. The defender had to be held back by his teammates to stop the row from escalating.
Roma's win meanwhile kept their hopes of a top-four finish alive as they are now a mere point away from fourth-placed Inter Milan.
The heart of the matter
Florenzi has responded to Ronaldo's mockery of his height during the game, stating that what happens on the pitch should remain on the pitch.
Speaking to Sky Italia (via Football Italia), the defender said, "We’d put the ball out of play twice so someone could get treatment and twice he played it. We could’ve gone on the counter with Kolarov in the first half, but we put it out of play, because that’s the kind of people we are."
"He’s the Ballon d’Or winner and thinks he has the right to do everything he did. I say and do a lot of dumb things on the pitch too, but it stays there."
The Roma captain added that he enjoyed hugging his fans after his goal and believes that his side must face the truth if they finish outside the top four at the end of the season.
"I really relished that hug with the fans, as I think I deserved it. For once in my life, I am thinking of me right now. I think I deserve it because I work from morning to night. My best friend, who is an electrician, makes fun of me, but I genuinely see this as a job and I have to work at it."
"We have to believe, but if we finish fifth, sixth or seventh, we must have the courage to admit this was not Roma’s year."
What's next?
Roma are next scheduled to face Sassuolo in the Serie A on Saturday night while Juventus will go head-to-head with Atalanta on Sunday.