Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo says that he is extremely overjoyed to be named as Portugal’s Player of the Year.

The 32-year-old has had an extremely successful 2016 after having managed to win the Champions League title with Real Madrid and the Euro 2016 title with Portugal. It is not a surprise that the superstar has been crowned with this award. Ronaldo has been one of the best players in the Portuguese football history after having won award after award.

While these have largely been personal and club honours up until now, it has extended to a whole new level following the success with the Portuguese national team at the Euro 2016. Ronaldo was largely seen as a failure when it came to international football unlike some of his predecessors like Luis Figo. Ronaldo scored the decisive penalty in the shootout with Atletico Madrid.

This was followed by success in the game against France in Paris. Winning over the Euro 98 champions helped Ronaldo get a first international trophy. While he continues to trail Lionel Messi in terms of individual accolades like the FIFA World Player of the Year, Ronaldo has secured a decisive edge over Messi after managing this international honour.

Apart from this title, Ronaldo has also been crowned as the Ballon d’Or winner and the FIFA best player of the year.Renato Sanches was crowned as the young player of the year, while national team manager Fernando Santos was crowned as the coach of the year. “It was a very special year for me because the Euros was the only trophy I was still missing. I want to thank the Portuguese people again, they gave us confidence on our way to the title,” said Ronaldo after lifting the title. Ronaldo has managed to win three Champions League titles in his career.

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has said that star player Cristiano Ronaldo is happy to be rested as the coach implements a squad rotation policy.

The Portuguese player was absent in the 3-0 triumph over tough opponents Sevilla in the Copa del Rey.

This season alone Zidane has not fielded the player at least five times and many worry that Ronaldo might be unhappy. However, the manager has disclosed that Ronaldo is very comfortable with the decision in a bid to manage talents at the Santiago Bernabeu.

“Cristiano is a very intelligent player. I want to have him for the whole season. We have 20 games in the next 60 days. Sometimes he too has to rest. That is the way I see it, and he sees it the same. There is no problem.

“He always wants to play, but we speak about it and know what is best. We try and play with all the players we have, to aim to win everything in front of us,” Zidane said at a news conference.

James Rodriguez was the man that was responsible for Sevill’s demolition. The Columbian skipper scored two crucial goals that sunk the opposition. The Sevilla team were not happy with the referee’s decisions during the game however.

Real Madrid are set to play Granada on Saturday at the Bernabeu. They have an advantage to equal the Spanish club record of 39 unbeaten games in all competitions, if they get a victory during the encounter. Barcelona holds the record, which was set last term. Zidane is playing safe when he said:

“[Granada] will make it difficult for us. Playing every three days there is little time to recover or work. But our idea is to prepare well and play a good game.”

Terry Gibson believes that Cristiano Ronaldo, and not Karim Benzema, should be the centre forward at Real Madrid.

The Portuguese forward returned to form in the recent 3-0 win over Atletico Madrid. The 31-year-old scored a hat-trick to take his league tally to 8 goals in nine appearances. Up until the game, Ronaldo was having to face some noises about not being at his best this season. After a very long Euro 2016 in which Ronaldo and Portugal managed to win the title, he has returned with several injury problems. It was a major factor in the slow start to the season by the 31-year-old.

However, he is slowly coming back to his best and the hat-trick against Atletico Madrid was also his first since the 4-1 win over Alaves. Incidentally, Ronaldo also scored a hat-trick in that game. Spanish football expert Gibson says that Ronaldo is usually deployed on the left with Gareth Bale on the right. Karim Benzema is usually on the centre, but he reckons that Madrid would be better off using Ronaldo in the centre. Over the years, Ronaldo has been given a free role in the team and he often spends most of the time at the top of the pitch trying to score goals.

It is one of the reasons for the player’s incredible goal return since joining Madrid. “This was clearly Real Madrid’s best game of the season and, by a mile, Ronaldo’s best game of the season. And his best game for a while in a Real Madrid shirt in a big game.

The fact Zinedine Zidane played him in the centre forward position makes Real Madrid look better and I think that’s Ronaldo’s position now.It gives a better framework to the rest of the team. Ronaldo can just do his own thing as the centre forward instead of being on the left and being required to do some tracking back,” said Gibson.

Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is set to get a new deal from Spanish club Real Madrid.

According to reports from Guillem Balague, the former Red Devils star’s contract is done and ready. The report says that the contract is ready, but that the club is waiting for the right moment to announce it. The deal’s announcement is believed to be best suited to help reappoint Florentino Perez as the Real Madrid elections for 2017 presidency gets underway.

The report says that the deal would be two or three years, and that it has been agreed months before now. The new deal was prepared because the current contract is set to lapse in 2018, and because of a transfer ban appeal that Real Madrid lost. Interested clubs in Paris St Germain, and Manchester United were not keen to activate his huge buy-out clause even if both parties were to split from the current mutually beneficial equation.

Ronaldo himself seems keen to end his career at the Santiago Bernabeu as it almost assures him of yet another title, and as he remains the club’s number one. The star also continues to command a huge weekly wage, and the competitive platform to win more personal awards.

Reports say he was not happy with the act the Real Madrid have not been able to win the La Liga title like their arch rivals Barcelona. While Ronaldo might not be able to run with the pace we have come to know as he seems to have peaked physically, he will definitely remain a top goalscorer. Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane would have to continue to manage his influence – as he wants to always be the most influential in the team – and that of Gareth Bale as they chase for more titles.

Brazilian legend Pele joined the war of words thrown around by top stars regarding who is the best footballer at the moment.

Pele opines that diminutive Argentine international Lionel Messi is the best footballer in the last decade.

Many place Pele as the greatest player that has ever played the round leather game. Pele won three World Cup titles, and remains relevant in international football till date. For the last decade, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have battled for supremacy in the game. Pele said that Messi is better.

“I could mention some names, but what has happened in the last 10 to 15 years, I think Messi is the player who was the most consistent all those years, no doubt,” Pele said. “We have had a lot of good players. Then Cristiano Ronaldo came late but it is different because Messi is the more organized, he scores goals,” he added.

Ronaldo is the subject of serious words exchange after he responded to comments former Barcelona star Xavi Hernandez made. Xavi claimed Ronaldo was an “elite footballer” but was just unlucky to be playing at the same time as Messi. He gave Messi the edge, saying he was the best player in the world. Ronaldo didn’t take the statement lightly.

“I couldn’t care less about what Xavi says about me, he plays in Qatar or I don’t even know where. He’s won every collective trophy, including a World Cup and the European Championship, but he’s never won a Ballon d’Or,” Ronaldo retorted. Many condemned his statement for rubbishing the contributions of the former Spain international to teams he has played in.
Samuel Eto’o who spent five years playing alongside Xavi also waded in.

“A player can’t say because they have four or five [Ballon d’Or], they’re the best. If the Ballon d’Or was fair, Xavi would have won five or six. He deserves all the respect in the world. Xavi did not say what he said out of a lack of respect. Xavi is Xavi,” Eto’o claimed.

Jurgen Klopp and Daniel Sturridge have been involved in a war of words over the last few weeks.

The striker recently expressed his dissatisfaction at being asked to play on the wings in the game against Burnley. The match ended as a 2-0 loss for the Liverpool team which started the opening game of the season in brilliant fashion with a 4-3 win over Arsenal. Sturridge’s position in the team has come under threat from the day Klopp came to the club. The German was initially unhappy with the player’s unavailability due to niggling injuries, while he has admitted that the England international possesses a knack of scoring goals.

The debate between the two has continued even into the 2016-17 season. Even though Sturridge expressed his dissatisfaction at his new role,Klopp says that the England star should learn that there are no defined positions in the game anymore. He has pointed out to the example of Portuguese and Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who started out on the wings and no plays in a free roll across the pitch. Ronaldo is not restricted to a certain position on the pitch and he often gets into the box to score from headers. It remains to be seen if Sturridge will be given a free role underKlopp.

“We don’t have these defined positions in football any more — Cristiano Ronaldo plays on the wing but is always in the box when the ball is in and around it.It’s not about running around all the time. I said I don’t want to make him a marathon runner, why should I? I don’t want to play Daniel on the wing, why should I? It’s not like ‘Go here, go there always.’ It’s no problem to talk about it, but it’s not an issue when a player says ‘It’s not my favourite position’,” said Klopp.