Ronaldo: "I know that people are waiting with a shotgun for Cris to miss a penalty"
AS brings our readers the second set of excerpts from Juventus and former Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo's exlusive interview with ICON.
Following the first set of extracts that were published on Thursday, AS has got hold of a second set of excerpts from Spanish magazine ICON's exclusive interview with Cristiano Ronaldo.
In the full interview, the Juventus superstar touches on his new life in Turin following his 117-million-euro move from Real Madrid last summer, his career trajectory, his competitive character and his new hair transpant clinic recently that opened in Madrid.
The full interview will be published in ICON (which is distributed with El País newspaper in Spain) on Saturday, when we’ll have more excerpts for our AS readers.
But for now here are some more snippets.
Ronaldo ICON interview excerpts
Do you think that some people have come to think that you have become a kind of robot?
I don't think they believe that I am a robot, but they do see me as a person who can never have a problem, can never be sad, can never have worries. People identify me with having no problems, success and money. How can Cristiano be sad or depressed if he has millions? You must understand that people don’t think like you, haven’t experienced certain moments, do not have a culture greater than what they are allowed. But I understand it. I know that people are waiting with a shotgun for Cris to miss a penalty, or to fail in a crucial match. But it is part of life and I must be prepared. I've been prepared for many years now.
After leaving Real Madrid, were not you tempted to open your hair clinic in a place other than Madrid?
My family is from here, they were born here, I lived in the city for nine years. Many moments that I have lived here cannot be extinguished. I went to Juve and if I wanted I could have said: "Ok, let's open the clinic in another city". But no. I continued with what we had planned [to open the clinic in Madrid] because Madrid has given me a lot, how can I forget it?
Despite of everything [that happened with the tax fraud case]?
Of course. The Spaniards treated me well. I wanted to give them some jobs, regardless of having the [tax] problems I have had with the Treasury, because that I cannot forget or hide. My life is an open book. I walk with my head held high; I know that people love me; they know that I have given a lot to the club [Real Madrid] and this club has also given me a lot. On the streets [in Madrid] they say to me: "Cris, come home, this house is always yours". I like to hear that.
Have you thought about retiring in Barcelona? They have the beach.
(Laughter) Barcelona is not for me, no. I went there once or twice and I felt that they don’t like Cristiano there very much. But that’s normal because of the [Real Madrid-Barcelona] rivalry. But I don’t mind.