CRISTIANO RONALDO cannot play at his best unless he is being booed.
The Manchester United star has got so used to abuse from opposition fans that without it he gets paranoid.Ronaldo, 24 tomorrow, said: “It’s normal for me now. If it doesn’t happen, I’m thinking, ‘Why aren’t they booing?’
“It’s part of football. Maybe they think if they boo I’ll lose my concentration — but it doesn’t happen because I like it.”
Ronaldo first became football’s public enemy for his diving, which he has since eradicated from his game.
Then it was for his part in United team-mate Wayne Rooney’s World Cup sending-off for England in 2006.
Now it is because he is so good he can destroy teams on his own. And he aims to continue doing that.
His boss Alex Ferguson last week questioned whether the World and European Footballer of the Year could match his achievements of last season when he hit 42 goals as United won the Premier and Champions League titles.
Impossible
But Ronaldo, with 14 goals this season, is not giving up on the idea until it is mathematically impossible.
He said: “I’ve improved every year and the last season was the best.
But I want more — this season I want to score the same amount of goals, or more. I know it’ll be hard but I think it’s possible.”
The Portugal ace has sought advice from experienced players about how he can stay on top.
He said: “I’ve spoken to players who have a great history in the game. They’ve told me it’s not what you do in one season, it’s staying at the top level that is the challenge.
“If I don’t perform, people will start to criticise me and I don’t want that. I’m ambitious and plan to win many more things.
“When I arrived at 18, I was a good player, but not in decision making, like whether I have to pass the ball or dribble.
“Winning trophies and being at this club gives you maturity and I’ve learned a lot. When you’re playing around great players you learn.”
Ronaldo wants to repeat last season’s Champions League triumph as United aim to become the first club to retain the trophy in its modern format.
Their next step in that mission comes with the two-legged last 16 tie against Inter Milan.
Ronaldo said: “The next games against Inter will be massive.
“I had always dreamed of winning that trophy. When I touched it, I felt like a baby touching a doll, or something like that. What a feeling.
“What you really want is to win again, to feel this emotion, and I believe it can happen.
“We have a great team, great players and the base is the same.”
Of course, it could have been different had John Terry scored Chelsea’s final penalty after Ronaldo’s miss, the pain of which he can still recall.
In an interview with the club’s Inside United magazine, Ronaldo said: “A shootout is a lottery. When you miss you think everyone will kill you. It’s a horrible feeling.
“Petr Cech made a good save. It was disappointing as I know I can do better.
“When I missed, I thought our chance had gone but the lads all said, ‘No Cristiano, we’re still going to win’.
“We deserved the moment because we worked hard together.
“I remember crying, thinking about what we had achieved, all the things we had done that season to get there and win that trophy, thinking about my family and team-mates.”
But Ronaldo, with 14 goals this season, is not giving up on the idea until it is mathematically impossible.
He said: “I’ve improved every year and the last season was the best.
But I want more — this season I want to score the same amount of goals, or more. I know it’ll be hard but I think it’s possible.”
The Portugal ace has sought advice from experienced players about how he can stay on top.
He said: “I’ve spoken to players who have a great history in the game. They’ve told me it’s not what you do in one season, it’s staying at the top level that is the challenge.
“If I don’t perform, people will start to criticise me and I don’t want that. I’m ambitious and plan to win many more things.
“When I arrived at 18, I was a good player, but not in decision making, like whether I have to pass the ball or dribble.
“Winning trophies and being at this club gives you maturity and I’ve learned a lot. When you’re playing around great players you learn.”
Ronaldo wants to repeat last season’s Champions League triumph as United aim to become the first club to retain the trophy in its modern format.
Their next step in that mission comes with the two-legged last 16 tie against Inter Milan.
Ronaldo said: “The next games against Inter will be massive.
“I had always dreamed of winning that trophy. When I touched it, I felt like a baby touching a doll, or something like that. What a feeling.
“What you really want is to win again, to feel this emotion, and I believe it can happen.
“We have a great team, great players and the base is the same.”
Of course, it could have been different had John Terry scored Chelsea’s final penalty after Ronaldo’s miss, the pain of which he can still recall.
In an interview with the club’s Inside United magazine, Ronaldo said: “A shootout is a lottery. When you miss you think everyone will kill you. It’s a horrible feeling.
“Petr Cech made a good save. It was disappointing as I know I can do better.
“When I missed, I thought our chance had gone but the lads all said, ‘No Cristiano, we’re still going to win’.
“We deserved the moment because we worked hard together.
“I remember crying, thinking about what we had achieved, all the things we had done that season to get there and win that trophy, thinking about my family and team-mates.”
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