Cristiano: “Ancelotti is lucky; this could be the year of the ‘Décima’”

Cristiano Ronaldo gave an exclusive interview to Sky Italia’s ‘Il Signori del Calcio’ programme this week in which he weighed up Madrid’s chances of winning their tenth European crown and compared the different leagues across the continent.

Winning ‘La Décima’: Winning the tenth European Cup shouldn’t be an obsession for us. The fans and the players have spent a while waiting to win it. A club like Real Madrid should always try to win the Champions League but other teams want to win it as badly as we do. I am convinced that this could be the year when we do it. We have a great team and a great coach, Ancelotti who is also a very lucky man. I really hope that his good luck can rub off on us this year”.

Winning the Ballon d’Or for the second time: “I wasn’t expecting to win it. It was a unique moment for me –particularly the moment when my son decided he wanted to join me on the stage. The tears were through emotion but also happiness for experiencing such a magical night. Those tears were sincere, honest and from a person who is completely normal. I was a little nervous throughout the ceremony and the moments running up to the final verdict were full of uncertainty and curiosity. Hearing my name read out was a feeling of liberation, I took a deep breath and felt a huge surge of emotion. I really didn’t expect it, but at last, I was able to express my overwhelming feelings of happiness. The Ballon d’Or is the biggest honour any player can win. To be recognised as the best player in the world is unique. It’s happened to me twice now, we’ll see what happens in the future”.

Mario Balottelli: “I don’t know him personally and I am not really interested in what he does off the pitch. I think he’s a good player and has the ability to really make his mark with AC Milan and the national team; he’s already showing that he has the talent to do that”.

Europe’s major leagues: “I have to be honest, I’m not a huge fan of the Italian league and I don’t follow it religiously but I know that Serie A is a high level league. It always will be amongst European strongest leagues and Serie A will always have a presence in the World Cup and European Championships. I’m not saying that the Italian league is bad, it just doesn’t fascinate me. I have watched lots of games and although there are good teams and good players, it just doesn’t interest me that much. For me, I prefer the Premier League and the Liga BBVA but who knows, maybe one day I will change my opinion”.