“He played wherever he wanted to play” - Former Juventus forward on playing with 'crazy' Cristiano Ronaldo 

Leicester City forward Stephy Mavididi, in a recent interview, has opened up about his time with Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus.

The Championship star, who came up the ranks at Arsenal, spent two years with Juventus between 2018 and 2020. Ronaldo himself had signed a whopping €117 million deal with the Turin-based side and arrived from Real Madrid in 2018.

However, the pair never shared the pitch in a competitive game for Juventus, as Mavididi made just one senior appearance for the club. However, he did rub shoulders with the Portuguese icon on several occasions in training.

Opening up about his time with the 39-year-old Al-Nassr striker, Mavididi said (via The Sun):

"Cristiano invented his own position, he played wherever he wanted to play. It was crazy having him as a teammate. When he's on your team in training you're going to win- whether it's a small-sided game or crossing and finishing."

"But when you play against him it's a nightmare because he's just so good in every aspect of the game," he added.

At Juventus, Ronaldo registered 101 goals and 22 assists in 134 appearances across competitions. He won the Serie A title twice but failed to lift the UEFA Champions League trophy during his time in Italy.

Following his three-year stay with the Serie A giants, Ronaldo rejoined Manchester United, where he would spend less than a year and a half. After having his contract mutually terminated at Old Trafford, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner made the move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr in January 2023.

---

Cristiano Ronaldo left out of Portugal's squad vs Sweden to allow him to rest- Reports

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal are set to take on Sweden on Thursday, March 21, and Slovenia (March 26) in friendlies during the ongoing international break.

According to ESPN, the Real Madrid legend has been left out of the squad against Sweden to allow him to rest and rejuvenate.

The same report states that Ronaldo will return to his national team squad for the second friendly against Slovenia. Most recently, he appeared in the 1-0 win over Al-Ahli on Saturday, March 16, which saw the Al-Nassr striker bag the game's only goal from the spot.

Ronaldo has been in good form this season, having scored 30 goals in 33 matches across competitions for his club. His form will be crucial as Portugal are one of the favorites to win the European Championship this summer.