What Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr teammates really think of him as Mane lifts lid on relationship | OneFootball

Cristiano Ronaldo has been playing for Al-Nassr for over three years and it’s safe to say that he’s made quite the impression on his teammates during that time.

Still going strong at the age of 40, the Portuguese forward is an example to all professional footballers when it comes to discipline and working hard.

We’ve collected the thoughts of his Al-Nassr teammates and have gathered everything they’ve said about him from over the years.

Sadio Mane

“He is an example for every kind of football player in the world, I have never seen another player like him, that’s for sure,” Mane said during a recent interview with Rio Ferdinand.

“Before I knew him personally, I used to watch him on TV and read about him in the news, about his professionalism, mentality, and remarkable seriousness.

“And when I came here and met him, I found exactly the same thing. He’s unbelievable, he works hard every single day and still has the desire to win and to give his best, even at the age of 40. You can see that he is a complete athlete in every sense of the word.

“It’s a little different, but he’s still on the right path, training is something that runs in his blood. He always comes early, of course, and he leaves like everyone else in a normal way, but his impact on the team is exceptional.

“Cristiano is a role model for every football player in the world. This is Cristiano, with his mentality, his passion for winning, and his high level of professionalism. I have never seen a player like him before.”

Joao Felix

“Yes, playing with Cristiano… there you go… It’s Cristiano. Everyone knows what he’s capable of, as we saw,” Felix told reporters last month when discussing his start to life at Al-Nassr.

“He misses a penalty and the next minute he scores that goal. It’s easy to play with him.

“Sometimes it even ends up being good, because since it’s Cristiano, they end up focusing more on him and then leaving the others with a bit more space. He ends up helping the forwards, both me, Mané, and Coman. And yes, playing with him on the pitch is something else.

“I always work to give my best; sometimes things work out, sometimes they don’t. Of course, this context is more favourable, because I’m in my position, which brought me into football, which made a bit of my name in the beginning. And the team, the team is doing very well.

“The manager’s ideas are good; they benefit me, my game, the attackers in general. That’s why we’ve been scoring so many goals, and it’s partly due to that, the manager’s tactics and ideas.”

Marcelo Brozovic

“I prefer to play with him than against him, as you can always count on him to score a goal,” Brozovic said last year.

“For me, one of the greatest players in the world, kudos to him for everything he has done.”

Kingsley Coman

“He still has the same extraordinary finishing, that’s for sure,” Coman said.

“It’s truly an honour to play with him and I’ll be able to tell my children that I played with Cristiano Ronaldo.”

Inigo Martinez

“His welcome surprised me,” Martinez told COPE.

“Often appearances are deceiving. He is approachable, competitive and lives football to the fullest.”