Cristiano Ronaldo expressed his belief that Manchester City stands a “good chance” of defending their Champions League title this season.
The 38-year-old, who has clinched the Champions League trophy five times with Real Madrid, shared his thoughts during the 2023 Globe Soccer Awards ceremony in Dubai.
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In addition to asserting himself as the “best goalscorer” in world football, a statement that garnered a noticeable reaction from Erling Haaland, Ronaldo participated in an on-stage Q&A session.
During this session, he identified two other teams as strong contenders for Europe’s premier prize.
In a different line of questioning, Ronaldo addressed the public’s response to his move to the Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr.
“I believe they are going to be in the top three or four in the world,” he said. “Step by step, I think we are going to reach that. The level right now? To be honest, I think the Saudi league is not worse than France’s league in my opinion.”
In addition to discussing his widely discussed transfer to the Middle East, Ronaldo was queried about the possible victors in the current season’s Champions League.
During this discussion, he expressed his belief that Manchester City stands a “good chance” of securing another Champions League triumph.
Ronaldo also identified Real Madrid and Bayern Munich as other strong contenders for the prestigious title.
While it was almost expected for Ronaldo to mention Real Madrid in the mix, he notably extended more praise to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City—a team with which he had strong links back in 2021.
“I think Manchester City has a great chance of winning the Champions League again this season,” he added. “I hope not [they don’t win], but I think they have a chance.”
In May, Manchester City secured their inaugural Champions League title with a 1-0 victory over Inter Milan in the final.
However, as they prepared for their opening match against Red Star Belgrade in September, Pep Guardiola downplayed the significance of their accomplishment. “It’ll be easier. The hardest to win is the first one,” he said.
“For our club to win the Champions League is incredible, but in perspective, how many won one Champions League? A lot.
“We haven’t done anything special with just one, but we are incredibly proud.”
