The former German international recalled that the current Manchester United forward would show everyone a different version of himself on and off the pitch.
Khedira met two Cristianos
Sami Khedira has discussed how Cristiano Ronaldo changed from the moment the two players met at Real Madrid until they rejoined forces at Juventus years later. The former German international recalled that the current Manchester United forward would show everyone a different version of himself on and off the pitch. “I met two Cristianos,” Khedira told reporters. “The first was at Real Madrid. He was a bit young, a bit more insecure and selfish, too. Not selfish in a bad way, just in the way young strikers are. He had to find his personality. And then the second Cristiano, after he moved to Juventus, he was much more of a leader. He is still driven by ego and selfishness to score, but more about pushing his teammates, helping them be better. Off the pitch, he was much more relaxed and much more mature, but on the pitch, always focused and just as intense.
You have to give Ronaldo the ball in the box
“We saw it on the first day, taking shots on goal. He was so competitive, whether it was that or playing 4-on-4. He’d want to bet on it, say 100 Euros or a bottle of wine. He’s a competitor, and if he loses, he gets angry. So nobody wants to let him down.” Khedira acknowledged that coaches whose teams boast players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi or Neymar might be forced to change their playstyles to accommodate their stars. “I’m going, being honest, if you have Cristiano or Messi or Neymar on your team, most of the time you defend with ten men because they need some time to rest and they are not defenders,” Khedira added.
“Jose Mourinho did this, and Carlo Ancelotti did this too. You have to give Ronaldo the ball in the box; you have to transmit the idea that I will fight for Cristiano, I will run for him, I will do everything for him. Because at the end, he probably will score the winning goal and get you the three points. That’s the compromise that you have with Cristiano.”