Ronaldo: Prem is harder than Spain

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From STEVEN HOWARD in Madrid

Quote :: SO it finally came round to the famous wink in Gelsenkirchen.

The one that followed a chat with the referee and ended in a red card for Wayne Rooney in the 2006 World Cup quarter-final.

And Cristiano Ronaldo was still unrepentant.

Sitting just a couple of feet away from me in a studio a mile or so from the Bernabeu Stadium, the £80million man stopped playing with the ring on his finger and said: "Winking?

"I do it all the time - not just in World Cup quarter-finals. And I had done it many times before."

Did he think he had made a mistake?

"Who, me?" he said, as if butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.

Yes, you, mate.

"No, why?" he asked.

So I told him.

And he grinned and said: "Come on, you know the Press... they like to make a big story out of very little.

"If you think I did that because of Rooney then look at this... "

And then he bloody well winked at ME! To rub it in, he did it again.

And then started laughing.

It was a moment of light relief in the middle of another maelstrom in the life and times of Real Madrid, world football's biggest diva and a club that certainly acts like one.

Having spent £225m on new players in pre-season, Madrid won their opening seven games with Ronaldo in the side.

But since he damaged an ankle against Marseille, they have lost three out of five including a 4-0 thrashing by Third Division Alcorcon in the Copa del Rey with a side that included Raul Albiol, Royston Drenthe, Lassana Diarra, Rafael van der Vaart, Raul, Karim Benzema, Guti and Ruud van Nistelrooy.

The natives have gone berserk - the Alcorcon humiliation coming hard on the heels of the 3-2 home defeat by AC Milan in the Champions League.

Two days ago, the mass-circulation sports paper Marca - as good as Madrid's official in-house publication - splashed a picture of coach Manuel Pellegrini on the front page under the headline: HE HAS TO GO.

A day later, Guti revealed he had told Pellegrini to 'f*** off' after being substituted at half-time before later giving Madrid fans the middle finger.

Ronaldo was supposed to be launching Castrol's new world rankings - a fact rather than opinion-based football version of the ATP tennis and PGA golf tour listings that will tell us each month who is the world's top player.

Right now it's Thierry Henry, followed by Lionel Messi and Ronaldo - with Frank Lampard the leading Englishman in 14th place.

But the Press conference, bad enough in that five Barcelona players were in the top nine, turned into a fierce grilling about Pellegrini's future from a seething Spanish media.

Ronaldo, still a week away from fitness, ducked and dived his way out of the questions in inimitable fashion.

Later, though, he admitted to me: "The fans are totally different here to England. There is far more pressure than in Manchester and the Bernabeu crowd is particularly tough.

"Yes, it's a bad moment but every team has these. No side in the world can be at the top all the time, it's impossible, but maybe here they don't accept that.

"Madrid have to win every game and the people just won't accept defeat.

"But Madrid has so many new players and a new coach that it's very difficult to blend together immediately.

"Now, of course, they expect me to be the saviour. But I can only play my position, not goalkeeper or defence."

Then it was back to the team and the country he had left behind.

"Yes, there are things I miss about England," he said. "The weather, of course. And the food... "

It seemed he was in leg-pulling mode. Until we got on to Premier League defenders.

Then he got into his stride: "England is far more difficult than Spain. The players are far tougher and just want to kick you.

"And the referees refuse to protect the big players.

"But there are exceptions. I loved playing against Ashley Cole. Yes, he's tough as well but he knows how to play the game. Some of my best memories are battles with him for Chelsea and England.

"But it's still a fantastic league, for me the best in the world.

"And United fans shouldn't worry too much about the team. Yes, they lost to Liverpool but they are still a good side and have good players to come back.

"As for Manchester City, I can't ever see them being as big as United.

"United have all the tradition and you cannot make history in two or three years irrespective of how much money you have.

"City simply cannot buy what United have.

"I don't know if they tried to get me but I wouldn't play for any other English club but United.

"Anyway, I am very happy in Madrid, this is my dream club."

And then it was on to the World Cup where Portugal face a testing play-off against Bosnia.

Ronaldo said: "We HAVE to qualify. We don't want to be staying home like England at Euro 2008."

Could the World Cup take place without the World Player of the Year?

He said: "I certainly hope not. It would be the biggest blow of all if I had to just watch it on TV."

Then he bristled and added: "But I don't believe that will happen. I will be there in South Africa, watching and taking part."

He was then asked who his own heroes were.

Without a pause he said: "My family, my dad. He died four years ago and when you miss someone, it's hard.

"But I'm much stronger now. I just try to live my life as normally as possible. But my family... it means everything to me.

"Football, of course, has given me many things. My life without it would be nothing.

"Yes, being in the public eye is sometimes very difficult. But I accept that because the rewards I receive are huge.

"Now I just want to win the trophies I won with United with Madrid.

"The players have been brilliant in the way they have welcomed me. But I still love to hear from Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand and all the other lads."

Then it was time to go.

But he had to have one last dig.

With an earnest look on his face, he said: "I hope England are better at penalties in South Africa. Except against us, of course."

And, no, he didn't wink.

The sunhttp://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/2707613/Cristiano-Ronaldo-England-is-harder-than-Spain.html

Interesting read, still hes so f....ing arrogant