Former Real Madrid defender recalls unforgettable incident involving Cristiano Ronaldo: ‘I accidentally kicked him…’ | OneFootball

Every footballer who passes through Real Madrid’s academy dreams of sharing the pitch with the very best, but for Manu Hernando, one such moment turned into a story he will carry for the rest of his career.

The current Racing Santander defender joined Real Madrid’s youth setup in 2017 and spent three important years developing within the system. 

During that time, he was registered with Castilla but frequently trained with the first team, gaining valuable experience alongside some of the biggest names in world football. 

Among them were club legends like Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo.

It was during one of those training sessions that Hernando found himself involved in an unexpected and rather dramatic incident with Ronaldo.

Recalling the incident

Recalling the moment during an interview with SER, as relayed by Mundo Deportivo, Hernando explained how what seemed like a routine action quickly escalated into something much bigger. 

He described the situation in detail, saying, “I accidentally kicked Cristiano. Accidentally, mind you—I didn’t even mean to stick my foot out. 

“But when I saw the ball was definitely coming my way, I went down, and he touched the ball a little, and I landed a brutal kick right on his Achilles heel, and I thought, ‘Oh my God, what a mess.’ 

Manu Hernando could not make it to the senior team at Real Madrid. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)

“I didn’t train again that year. I think that was around March or so—I don’t remember exactly when it was—there wasn’t much of the season left, but I didn’t get back on the field that year,” he remembered.

The story, however, did not end there. As time passed, the incident began to take on a life of its own, with rumours and exaggerated claims circulating about its impact. 

Hernando addressed those rumours and clarified what actually happened following that training ground clash. 

He said, “Cristiano went to Juve that year, and the very next year, I did get called up again. Then stories started coming out about ‘the youth player who ruined his career.’ 

“I mean, ‘my goodness, what a fuss this is causing.’ There were also reports that I hadn’t been called up to the first team again, that they’d excluded me, and that’s a lie. 

“I mean, that year I did stay down for the remaining two or three months—I didn’t get called up again—but then I came back in the summer. 

“In fact, they were counting on me for the next preseason, and I couldn’t go because of an injury, but they were definitely counting on me,” he concluded.