What is the story?
Ajax have passed on instructions to the Netherlands national team on how to stop Cristiano Ronaldo, ahead of the UEFA Nations League final between Portugal and the Dutch on Sunday. Ajax took to Twitter to show the only way Ronaldo can be stopped by posting small clipping of a rugby tackle on the Juventus star in the Dutch giants' Champions League quarter-final clash against the Bianconeri.
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Ajax got the better of Ronaldo and Juventus in the quarter-finals of last season's Champions League. The young Dutch side beat the Old Lady of Turin 3-2 on aggregate over the two legs, upsetting all odds. However, Ajax’s sensational journey in Europe came to a disappointing end in the semi-finals, where they bottled a three-goal advantage against Tottenham in the last 45 minutes of the second leg.
Despite scoring in both legs against Ajax, Ronaldo failed to stop Juventus from crashing out of Europe. Ronaldo, who masterminded the sensational comeback against Atlético Madrid in the Round of 16, ended the Champions League campaign with six goals to his name.
However, on his international return after almost a year, the 34-year-old Portuguese showed the world why he is still regarded as one of the best in the buisness. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner scored a sensational hat-trick against Switzerland to help Portugal reach the Nations League final, where they will face the Netherlands.
Virgil van Dijk and company will surely have their work cut out to stop the Portuguese talisman and taste their first international success since winning the 1988 European Championship.
The heart of the matter
Ajax were very cheeky in the manner in which they passed on their expertise on how to stop Ronaldo in the final to the Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman.
The recently-crowned Dutch champions posted a clipping of Ronaldo being manhandled to the ground to stop a counterattack against Ajax on Twitter.
What’s next?
The final of the inaugural Nations League will take place at the Estadio do Dragao on Sunday.
