Turkish defender Merih Demiral has warned in a press conference ahead of their Euro 2024 Group F clash against Portugal that his side will need to be very wary of 39-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, Soccernet.football reports.
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Demiral and Ronaldo spent three years together in Turin, playing for Juventus. However, both players have since moved on and are now plying their trades in Saudi Arabia where they line up on opposite sides for two of the biggest teams in the Saudi Pro League with Demiral flying Al Hilal colours while Ronaldo turns out for Al Nassr.
Speaking via @TimelineCR7 on X (formerly known as Twitter), the former Juventus defender insisted that Ronaldo remains a massive threat, having played against him in the Saudi Pro League last season.
“Ronaldo was in good shape when we played against each other in Saudi Arabia. He hasn’t lost anything. He is always very dangerous, a very big player.
“He is a very professional player who loves to work and sets an example for everyone. We need to be very careful as a defense.”
Demiral went further to laud praises on his former teammate, calling him the best player in the world; “Ronaldo is a great football player. It is not easy to score goals like this at the age of 39.
“We are all experienced. We know very well how to defend. We will defend in the best way possible against the best player in the world.”
Turkey and Portugal each got their Euro 2024 campaigns off to the best start possible, recording victories in their opening games against Georgia and Czech Republic respectively.
Both teams will be heading into this game with the prospect of securing qualification into the knockouts firmly at the back of their minds. It promises to be an intriguing match-up at the BVB Stadion Dortmund.
