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Cristiano Ronaldo has paid tribute to his Real Madrid side, describing their campaign as “amazing” after helping them to a record 12th European Cup triumph. Zinedine Zidane’s men swept aside Juventus 4-1 at the Millennium Stadium to claim the trophy to become the first team to retain the crown since AC Milan in 1990. Ronaldo was inevitably to the forefront as he scored their first and third goals of the evening. Casemiro grabbed the second after Mario Mandzukic had equalised in stunning style, while Marco Asensio added a fourth in stoppage time. Speaking after the match, Ronaldo commented: “It's been incredible, another amazing season. To finish the year with the Champions League and the record, I'm very happy.” Ronaldo hails Real Madrid’s ‘amazing season’ after Champions League final win over Juventus Ronaldo became just the second player to score in three European Cup finals in Wales, having previously struck in 2008 and 2014, while Madrid also became the first side to reach 500 goals in the competition since its rebrand in 1992-93. During the last calendar year, the Portuguese has also won Euro 2016 with his country and the Primera Division title. On an individual basis, he claimed both the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA Best Player award.
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his Real Madrid and Ronaldo has taken strides towards immortality after beating Juventus 4-1 A player of a generation; a team of a generation. That is the only way to describe Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid following the club’s 12th Champions League victory. Into the bargain Zinedine Zidane has bettered every Real Madrid coach since 1958. Luis Carniglia equalled the feats of Jose Villalonga a year previous in winning a league and European Cup double. No Madrid coach since then could do it until now. And it took 27 years for a team to match the feat of Arrigo Sacchi’s AC Milan side. This Real Madrid have no comparison in the modern era. The path to the final these days is so fraught with danger and teams such hostages to fortune that it is hard for any side to fulfil their destiny as favourites. There is such a pervading expectation of success around Madrid, however, and they have broken through that glass ceiling. A player of a generation, a team of a generation: Ronaldo and Real are the history boys Madrid’s sense of calm, their ease at coping with pressure, these things don’t come easily. They only come for a team so used to winning – and so sure of it – that every final can be treated as no big deal. Before the game as the Juventus XI went through a detailed and rigorous pre-match warm-up, the Real Madrid contingent could be seen engaging in an easy-going rondos session and exchanging hugs and smiles. They have been here, seen it and done it. They don’t come to Champions League finals to compete, they come to fulfil a script. Credit to Juventus. They flew out of the blocks and threatened to disrupt the rhythm of the team in purple but it couldn’t last. Not even one of the greatest Champions League final goals from Mario Mandzukic could knock them from their stride. Indeed, it was appropriate that it required magic to earn Juve some parity because their normal game was sure as hell not good enough to get close. Juventus came here believing and hoping but all it took was one swipe of the Portuguese genius’s boot to smash their expectations back into the earth. That’s four Champions Leagues for Ronaldo for those keeping score at home. Three for Real and one more for Manchester United. He has scored in three finals including two goals here. He has scored 10 knockout goals this season; many strikers would be satisfied with that over the course of a career. Comparisons will always be made with Lionel Messi but now it’s time to start thinking about Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas in the Real Madrid context. He is extra-terrestrial; we will never see his like again.
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The club icon came off the bench to help Roma record a dramatic 3-2 home win against Genoa in the last game of the Serie A season, securing second spot and automatic Champions League qualification at Napoli's expense, Francesco Totti suggested he could postpone his retirement and carry on playing after hinting at "a new adventure" during an emotional farewell following his final Roma appearance. Totti was expected to take up a non-playing role at Roma after it was confirmed he would not sign a new deal, but in an poignant speech at Stadio Olimpico he implied he might have changed his mind. "I like to think of my career as a fairytale to tell - and this is the worst part," Totti said. "Now it really is over. "I take off my shirt for the last time. I will fold it nicely, even if I have to admit I'm not ready to say it's over and maybe I never will be. "Sorry if during this period I didn't give interviews or clarified my thoughts, but it's not easy to switch that light off. Now I am afraid. It's not the same fear you have in front of the goal when you need to score a penalty. This time I cannot see through the holes in the net what lies beyond. Image result for totti francesco, "So allow me to be a little afraid. This time I am the one who needs you and your warmth. What you've always shown me. With your affection, I will certainly be able to turn the page and throw myself into a new adventure."
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Massimiliano Allegri says Juventus are a different beast to the one who stumbled in the Champions League final two years ago and he will accept nothing but victory against Real Madrid on Saturday. Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri Massimiliano Allegri says Juventus are a different beast to the one who stumbled in the Champions League final two years ago and he will accept nothing but victory against Real Madrid on Saturday. As they will be in Cardiff, Juve sought a treble when they faced Barcelona in Berlin, but they were left dented by a 3-1 defeat. Allegri freely admits that his side then had not reached the final out of expectation, but he says - with a sixth straight Serie A title and the Coppa Italia in the bag - that this year feels much different. He told a news conference: "In 2015 we got to the final but at the same time we were not strongly motivated, we were not confident enough because we had lots of years of struggle in the Champions League. "We certainly didn't end up in the final by chance but we didn't expect to win. "This year is different. Last year, we had a good season in the Champions League, lost to Bayern Munich [in the round of 16] just one minute before the end of the game and we have been growing gradually. "Now it's completely different, Juventus has improved a lot." Dominant domestically once again, Allegri hopes Juventus can draw strength from pummelling their league. "All I can say is we worked for a year and all the trophies and wins we've had this year have been training for tomorrow," he said. "Tomorrow we have to win. It's a final, it's one game. "So like all one-game finals, you have to play in a certain way. You have to analyse when you need to attack and when you need to defend.
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Former Juventus defender Gianluca Zambrotta believes the moment has arrived for the Bianconeri and captain Gianluigi Buffon to win the Champions League against Real Madrid on Saturday. Former Juventus defender Gianluca Zambrotta believes the moment has arrived for the Bianconeri and captain Gianluigi Buffon to win the Champions League against Real Madrid on Saturday. The two teams go head-to-head in Cardiff as Juve look to complete a treble, after Serie A and Coppa Italia wins, while Madrid aim for consecutive European titles. Juve last won the competition in 1996, with stalwart Buffon yet to taste Champions League success after final losses to Milan in 2003 andBarcelona in 2015, and Zambrotta believes they are ready to end the drought. 'This is Juve's moment' - Zambrotta backs Buffon for Champions League glory "Buffon has a big chance - he will give everything, him and his team-mates, to use his experience to help the team," he told Sky Sports. "Juventus arrive prepared. They have a big chance to win this trophy, but it will be a very close game. 1 Share
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AC Milan have agreed terms with Alvaro Morata over a €60 million move and the club's sporting director Massimiliano Mirabelli hopes to tie up a deal for the Spain striker with Real Madrid in Cardiff this weekend. The Spain striker is unhappy at a lack of opportunities at the Santiago Bernabeu and has agreed terms on a return to Italy with the Rossoneri. Mirabelli travelled to Wales on Friday and will attend Saturday's Champions League final clash between Madrid and Juventus at the Millennium Stadium, but the Milan director will also use the trip to negotiate for Morata. Milan have money to spend this summer following the recent takeover by a Chinese consortium and the Rossoneri have made Morata their top target in the transfer window, with Carlos Bacca set to leave San Siro and the club in the market for a top-class replacement. Torino forward Andrea Belotti is also interesting Milan, but the Turin-based club are asking for €80 and Morata is their first choice, with wages of around €6.5-7m already agreed with the Spain striker. Morata agrees to €60m move as Milan meet Madrid in Cardiff Now Milan must convince Madrid, with a transfer fee yet to be settled. The Rossoneri are willing to pay €60m for the 24-year-old, although Real are keen to hold out for more and hope to earn closer to €70m for the player they brought back from Juventus last summer. Madrid originally sold Morata to Juventus in 2014 after the striker appeared as a substitute in the 2014 Champions League final win against Atletico in May of that year. And history seems set to repeat itself as the player now looks likely to move on after another European showpiece in Cardiff this weekend. Morata is due to marry Italian girlfriend Alice Campello in Venice later in June and she is known to favour a return to her homeland over a move to England, where Chelsea are interested in the Spain striker. Manchester United have also been linked with a move. Juventus would also be keen to take back Morata, but the Italian champions are unwilling to buy back their former player for at least double the amount they received from Madrid last summer, when the striker returned home for a cut-price €30m.
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Cristiano Ronaldo believes he will go down in history at Real Madrid but says he does not consider himself to be "a galactico". The Portugal ace has scored 40 goals in all competitions to help Madrid to a second Champions League final in a row and claim their first La Liga title since 2012. Ronaldo netted the winning penalty in the shoot-out when Madrid won the Champions League against Atletico Madrid last season and scored from the spot when they beat their city rivals in the 2014 showpiece. However, he says he has not considered any specific preparation for Saturday's match in Cardiff, when he will attempt to find a way past the imperious Juventus defence and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. "I'm not a typical player who likes to look at videos because I think that things come naturally. Obviously it's important to know one or two points but not to obsess," he said. "For example, in penalties, thinking about which side you shoot more towards: when you're there, a lot of things go through your head and it's one moment to decide. It's instinct. And that's why I don't really like to plan what I'm going to do. "A penalty in the final? It's not fear. I like to take risks. It's a calculated risk, not life or death. I can score or miss. "But I'm not going to miss. You have to think positively. That's the difference between good players, very good players and galacticos. "I don't consider myself a galactico. But I consider myself a player who has created history in Manchester, Madrid and with the national team." Ronaldo: I'm not a galactico 25 - Cristiano Ronaldo has become the second player to score 25+ goals in eight La Liga seasons in a row, after Lionel Messi. Monster. Ronaldo also insists he will never be an out-and-out striker and admits that he prefers playing in a 4-4-2 system. The 32-year-old has developed into more of a centre-forward during Zinedine Zidane's time in charge at Santiago Bernabeu and has often been partnered in attack with Karim Benzema this season. Posted by Sportspices at 12:34 1 Like |
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The Real Madrid star is to be a father again following the attacker's publication of a romantic photo on Instagram Dolores Santos has denied rumours that son Cristiano Ronaldo is due to become a father again, calling the claims "nonsense". Ronaldo posted a loved-up photograph of himself and girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez on Instagram earlier this week, with the Real Madrid star's hand placement leading many to jump to conclusions. In the photo, which Ronaldo had captioned with a simple heart emoji, the four-time Ballon d'Or winner had his hand on Georgina's belly, causing people to question as to whether the model was pregnant. "I hope he has more children, he wants to be a father again, now that Cristiano has money, he can raise more children as well." Ronaldo will be back in action on Saturday, June 3 as Real Madrid take on Juventus in the 2016-17 Champions League final in Cardiff. 'It's just nonsense' - Ronaldo's mother denies Georgina Rodriguez pregnancy claims
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I'm happy to stay at Manchester City and keep fighting to help them achieve what they want to achieve." Iheanacho has seven goals in all competitions this season but has played just 130 minutes in the Premier League since the turn of the year when Gabriel joined the first team squad. "Manchester City is a big team and we need to go far as a squad so we need everybody," Iheanacho added. "Of course everyone is competing but we compete as a team. The manager can only pick 11 players so everyone is working, doing well and giving 100 percent. So we keep working and see what comes around next season." Iheanacho says he has enjoyed his first season working under manager Pep Guardiola and expects the team to be more competitive in the new campaign. "He's a great manager. He's one of the best managers in the world -- probably the best -- so I've learnt, he's taught me a lot," he said. "He knows football so I'm happy to be his player and to play for him in the team. I'm happy he's my manager. I'm very, very lucky to have him as my manager in the team.
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