Cristiano Ronaldo claimed he’s a ”strawberry that people want to bite” when explaining his social media fame to Piers Morgan on TalkTV.
- Ronaldo interview fallout continues
- Attributed social media following to looks, charisma
- Forward compared himself to a strawberry
WHAT HAPPENED? The first part of Ronaldo’s controversial interview was released on Wednesday, from which a barrage of interesting quotes have emerged. Beyond admitting that he ‘loved’ former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and slamming Manchester United’s next generation of youngsters, the 37-year-old also addressed his unprecedented social media pull. He credited his record number of followers on Twitter and Instagram to his charisma and good looks, while also comparing himself to a strawberry.
WHAT THEY SAID: On his social media following, Ronaldo explained: “Not only because I play good football, I think the rest is relevant – you have to be charismatic. I think being good-looking helps too. I don’t know the real reason but I’m competitive, a strawberry people want to bite. It’s what I tell you before, I have good things which you can sell your own product but you have to handle obstacles in your life.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Ronaldo’s quotes have been far-reaching, with long-lasting ramifications likely for both Manchester United and the Portugal national team. United boss Erik ten Hag has also been on the sharp end of his tongue, and it has been reported that he could now be facing a seven-figure fine from the club.
IN A PHOTO:
Ronaldo is partial to the occasional vain celebration…
Getty Images
WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO? Ronaldo and Portugal will do their best to ignore the controversy clouding this interview and focus on the task at hand in Qatar. Fernando Santos’ side face Ghana in their opening match next Thursday.
