Former midfielder Sami Khedira believes that Cristiano Ronaldo’s selfishness is not a bad thing for the clubs he is attached to.
“I know two Cristiano Ronaldos, one at Real and one at Juventus,” Sami Khedira shared in an interview with ESPN on March 4. “In both versions, Cristiano is a selfish striker. It’s not selfish in a bad way. Cristiano just looks for the ego of a striker. He motivates his teammates around him, always highly focused and plays hard. His high competitiveness helps the team.”
Khedira played with Ronaldo at Real from 2010-2015 and at Juventus from 2018-2021. Image:
Khedira spent eight years as Ronaldo ‘s teammate , at Real and Juventus. Together they won the biggest titles at the club level, including the Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, La Liga and Serie A. The German midfielder is two years younger than Ronaldo and retired in the summer of 2021.
“When he came to Juventus, Cristiano was no longer young and he was much more mature,” Khedira added. “He gradually becomes a leader, but is still motivated by scoring goals. Cristiano always challenges himself, even if it’s just in training sessions. He can bet 100 Euros or a bottle of wine on the players. 4-on-4 practice matches, or simply shots on goal. If he loses, Cristiano is very angry. Therefore, no one wants to disappoint him.”
Ronaldo scored 15 goals in 30 matches for Man Utd this season. But, he only scored once in the last 10 matches. British media said that many Man Utd players feel threatened by Ronaldo, especially on the field. They are afraid of making mistakes or failing passes, after witnessing the backlash from the Portuguese striker.
According to Khedria, Ronaldo even caused famous coaches to adjust their playing style. He said: “Both Mourinho and Ancelotti have to do it for Cristiano. You have to give him the ball in the penalty area, you have to fight for him, do everything for him. Because in the end, he can score.” The decisive goal brought home three points. That is the compromise we have with Cristiano.”
Ronaldo’s association with coaches at the end of his career such as Max Allegri , Maurizio Sarri, Ole Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick was not really compatible. Khedira believes that this is the downside of owning the best player in history, with a big ego. “Tactically, Sarri is probably the best I know. But he also cannot use Cristiano effectively,” said the former German international. “Signing a superstar like Crsitiano brings huge benefits, both on and off the field. The club therefore also faces the risk of losing its identity. Cristiano is not a bad contract for Juventus, but he may not be fits the team’s DNA. Real is successful with Ronaldo, but they cannot copy the winning formula between clubs.”