Zlatan slams Cristiano Ronaldo for asking Messi to play in the Serie A, says moving to Juventus isn't a challenge
What's the story?
LA Galaxy star Zlatan Ibrahimovic has taken a jibe at Cristiano Ronaldo's challenge to Lionel Messi after the Juventus forward had asked the Barcelona skipper to move to the Serie A and try something new, a few weeks ago.
In case you didn't know...
Ronaldo ended his relationship with LaLiga heavyweights Real Madrid to move to Italian giants Juventus in a shocking £88 million transfer last summer. Many saw the move as the end of the decade-long rivalry between the Portuguese and Messi, who continues to play for Barcelona in La Liga.
Last month, however, Ronaldo fueled Messi's exit rumours by challenging him to leave the Catalan giants for the Serie A. The 33-year-old said (via BBC),
"I'd like him to come to Italy one day. I hope he accepts the challenge like me, but if he's happy there then I respect that."
Ronaldo elaborated:
"I've played in England, Spain, Italy, Portugal and for my national team, while he's still in Spain. Maybe he needs me more. For me, life is a challenge, I like it and I like to make people happy. He's a fantastic player and a good guy, but I don't miss anything here. This is my new life and I'm happy."
The heart of the matter
Zlatan has now weighed in on the matter, stating that moving to Juventus is far from being a challenge as it is already a team that has been easily winning titles for years.
According to BBC News, the former Manchester United star said:
"Ronaldo talks about challenges but he decided to go to a club who have been winning the Serie A title with their eyes closed."
"Why did he not choose a club from a second division a few years ago? Try to become a champion with such a second-division [club] and lead them to the highest level."
He further added,
"Moving to Juventus is not a challenge at all."
What's next?
Ibrahimovic's LA Galaxy has been scheduled to lock horns with Chicago in the MLS on March 3. Meanwhile, Juventus take on AC Milan in the Supercoppa Italia final on 16 January.
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