Former Liverpool ace Sadio Mane has extended words of encouragement to his Al-Nassr teammate Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portuguese superstar’s penalty miss against Slovenia, insisting he remains a ‘great champion’.
In a tense match that ran into extra time goalless, it was Ronaldo who faltered from the penalty spot, stepping up only for Atletico Madrid stalwart Jan Oblak to thwart him. Ronaldo, overwhelmed by the miss, showed a rare glimpse of vulnerability as tears flowed openly during the break in extra time.
Despite the setback, the spirit within the Portugal camp was unbroken as they weathered through to win the nail-biter and head into the quarter-finals. True to his renowned resilience, Ronaldo redeemed himself during the penalty shootout, contributing to Portugal’s victory.
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Mane, having watched how events unfolded for his colleague at Al-Nassr, offered solidarity to the Manchester United icon by stating simply: “You remain a great champion.”
Eight years have passed since Ronaldo’s peak moment on the international stage, winning the Euros with his nation, and despite being in the latter stages of an illustrious career, the disappointment of failing his team weighed heavily on him. Ronaldo voiced his personal despair, stating: “Even the strongest people have their [bad] days. I was at rock bottom when the team needed me the most. Sadness at the start is joy at the end.
“That’s what football is. Moments, inexplicable moments. I feel sad and happy at the same time. But the important thing is to enjoy it. The team did an extraordinary job. We fought right to the end and I think we deserved it because we had more authority.”
Despite Ronaldo’s prominent role in the Portugal squad, it was goalkeeper Diogo Costa who emerged as the hero during their encounter. The Porto shot-stopper remarkably saved all three penalties from Slovenia, easing the path for his team.
Costa expressed his admiration for Ronaldo at full-time, saying: “We all know that Cristiano is the hardest worker. I understand how frustrated he is because he devotes all his time to this.
“It’s a pleasure and an honour to be on the same team as him. We’re a family, I really think this.
“I focus on making the best of these chances and I wanted to help the team. This is the most important thing. This is probably the best game of my life.”
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