🚨 Dani Alves on facing Cristiano Ronaldo in Madrid:
🗣️ “No one in Barcelona ever liked him, both the club, players management. It wasn’t because of Messi or the rivalry, it was because of the damage he could do in just one moment.”
🗣️ “The worst feeling back then was losing the ball and seeing Real Madrid break with Cristiano involved. Once he had space, you knew you were in trouble. He was too direct, too powerful and too ruthless. You could defend perfectly for eighty minutes and he’d still find a way to punish you.”
🗣️ “It’s difficult to admit but there were moments when you looked at him and thought, ‘Imagine having that kind of beast on your side.’ Every team wants a striker with that mentality, that aggression and that hunger to decide games.”
🗣️ “Rivalries make you dislike players, but they also make you respect them. Cristiano was one of those players you hated facing, because you knew one mistake was enough for him to change the entire game.”