Cristiano Ronaldo: Ex-teammate - "Training with him was like war"

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It runs like a red thread through his career.

Whoever was asked about him usually raved when he should tell a little about what it was like or what it was like to be in a team with Cristiano Ronaldo.

To play with him, to train with him.

Now Dimitar Berbatow, who made a lasting impression in this country through his five years, which he played at Bayer Leverkusen from 2001 to 2006, talked about the joint training sessions with the Portuguese superstar at Manchester United and told how much Ronaldo spurred him on to better performances .

Berbatov, who played 78 caps for Bulgaria, played with Ronaldo at Old Trafford in the 2008-09 season and admitted that his then team-mate set the bar for fitness standards.

“I was lucky enough to spend this season with him,” said Berbatow in an interview with the Spanish newspaper “Marca”: “He took extreme care of himself.

You came to train and he was already in the gym. "

"Ronaldo increased the team's competitive atmosphere"

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The 39-year-old added that Ronaldo, who was four years his junior, displayed an extreme competitive spirit even in training matches and always wanted to win.

“Training with him was like a war because I didn't think about anything but winning everything, including the little games we organized,” said Berbatov: “But that wasn't bad.

Cristiano was a good boy who made the team more competitive. "

In the 2008/09 season, Dimitar Berbatow (left) and Cristiano Ronaldo played for Manchester United

Source: pa / dpa / epa Lusa Abreu Miranda

The Bulgarian was also impressed by the work that Ronaldo put into the units.

Ronaldo was still on the pitch “to do extra work and shoot at the goal.

When he finished, he went swimming and then went back to the weight room.

He was determined to be the best. ”Even at club parties like the Manchester United Christmas party, Ronaldo didn't let the reins slack when it came to self-discipline.

"I've never seen him drink alcohol," said Berbatov.

Berbatow moved from Leverkusen to the Premier League in 2006.

At the time, he had a release clause for a fixed transfer fee of around 16 million euros and went to Tottenham Hotspur.

Two years later, Manchester United signed Berbatow for a transfer fee of around 38 million euros - at the time it was the most expensive transfer in the club's history.

Former striker Dimitar Berbatow (r.) Scored 68 goals in 154 games for Bayer Leverkusen

Source: pa / dpa / dpaweb / Rolf_Haid

While Berbatow ended his career in autumn 2019, Ronaldo is currently active at Juventus Turin - and certainly surrounded by many teammates who rave about like Dimitar Berbatow.

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