Ronaldo: Defenders don't want to hurt me
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Cristiano Ronaldo has insisted in an exclusive interview that he does not believe defenders set out to hurt him.
Ronaldo was at the centre of yet another storm on Wednesday, after Steven Taylor smashed the Manchester United number seven during their 2-1 victory.
Coupled with Ronaldo’s booking for a dive in the Carling Cup final, Sir Alex Ferguson claimed it is easier for referees to ignore the blatant treatment that the Portuguese receives – due to the fact that the home crowds celebrate every challenge.
However, Ronaldo claims defenders are merely guilty of not being able to handle his skills, insisting nobody has ever tried to injure him.
“On the pitch I’m a target for defenders, so it’s difficult to avoid certain things,” he told The Daily Star.
“But I don’t believe people just want to do something wrong on purpose. In my experience, the game is not carried out that way. I’ve never had any serious problems.
“I do remember when a goalkeeper said that the only way to stop United is to target Ronaldo – I went on two score two past him.
“But I don’t agree when people say that to stop United you only need to stop Cristiano. I don’t like it when people say that.”