Blanc coy over Cristiano Ronaldo exchange
Paris Saint-Germain manager Laurent Blanc has refused to divulge what Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo said to him at the end of their Champions League tie on Tuesday.
Ronaldo, 30, made a point of seeking out Blanc directly after the full-time whistle blew in Real Madrid’s 1-0 win over the French side at the Bernabeu.
The Portugal captain was seen smiling and whispering something in Blanc’s ear, an action that has set tongues wagging in France given that Ronaldo has been strongly linked with a move to PSG.
But, speaking after the game, Blanc would only confirm that what the former Manchester United attacker had said to him was nice to hear.
“Ronaldo told me certain things, yes” the PSG boss told a news conference. “But as you might suspect, I won’t say what it was.
“It was very complimentary anyway. I won’t say any more about it.”
Ahead of Tuesday’s encounter, Ronaldo had suggested that he could leave Real Madrid before the end of his current contract, which runs until 2018.
PSG captain Thiago Silva said last week that he hoped the French champions could strike a deal to sign the two-time Ballon d’Or winner next summer. But Ronaldo’s friend Jose Semedo said that the ex-Sporting Lisbon player wanted to end his career in England.
Meanwhile, PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi has heaped praise on Blanc and his players despite Tuesday’s loss.
He indicated that it was a good response to what the club felt was harsh criticism of the side after the 0-0 draw between the two teams in Paris on Oct. 21.
“We really didn’t deserve this result but I’m very proud of my coach, my players and all the team,” Al-Khelaifi told reporters after the game.
“They bounced back for the media because you criticised the club, the player, the coach, us. But that was a great motivation for us. The players showed tonight that we have a great team too.
“We respect Real Madrid a lot, which is one of the biggest clubs in the world, but tonight we played at their place like we were playing at home.
“Football isn’t fair sometimes but we have to accept it.”
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