Cristiano Ronaldo is enjoying life at Juventus. If you have not been following his career in Italy, a quick read of his latest interview will give you a perfect depiction of how things are going for him in Serie A.
The Portuguese icon sat down with Gazzetta dello Sport to discuss an array of issues, ranging from his current employers to the Ballon d'Or, to long-term rival Lionel Messi. The 33-year-old had some interesting things to say about the Barcelona icon as well as his former team, Real Madrid.
On the topic of the Argentine icon, Ronaldo was asked if he missed the 31-year-old after battling it out for supremacy in La Liga for so long. Cristiano dismissed that question before challenging Leo to seek a new challenge in his career by possibly joining him in the Italian top-flight.
Cristiano told the Italian newspaper: "No, maybe he misses me!"
"I played in England, Spain, Italy, Portugal, in the national team, while he is still in Spain. Maybe he needs me more.
"For me, life is a challenge, I like it and I like to make people happy.
"I would like him to come to Italy one day. Like me, accept the challenge.
"However, if he is happy there, I respect him.
"He is a fantastic player, a good guy but I do not miss anything here. This is my new life and I'm happy."
Stepping out of his comfort zone is something Messi critics have called for him to do. However, given the player's love for and dedication towards the Catalan giant, it appears unlikely that La Pulga will be accepting the challenge anytime soon.
The Bianconeri goalscoring machine was also asked to describe his new squad, with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner comparing life in Turin to that of the Spanish capital. The Euro 2016 winner stated that the humility and togetherness in Allegri's side trump that of the Bernabeu camp, having left Los Blancos due to a lack of love from Florentino Perez.
"It isn't right to name someone specific but I can say that this is the best group in which I've played. Here, we are a squad, elsewhere, some players feel bigger than the others, instead, here, everyone is on the same level, they are humble and want to win," the Real Madrid all-time leading scorer added.
"If Dybala or Mandzukic don't score, they are still happy and you see them smile. For me it is beautiful, to feel that difference. Also at Madrid, they are humble, but here I feel that sense more. It's very different to Madrid, here it is more of a family.
Cristiano also touched upon the recent Ballon d'Or award, which went to Luka Modric. While the 33-year-old admitted he felt he deserved it, he stressed that he does not lose any sleep over his second-place finish. Additionally, he promised to be back to challenge for next year's prize and given his form in Serie A, that appears certain to happen.
