- Cristiano Ronaldo scored a penalty to make it 2-1 against PSG on Wednesday
- Fans went wild as the ball appeared to lift off the ground before he struck it
- Many thought it was a freak moment but Rio Ferdinand insisted it was deliberate
- The two of them trained together during their time with Manchester United
When Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty to make it 2-1 against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday was inspected further, many struggled to understand how the ball appeared to raise off the spot before it was struck.
While it was not a sign that Ronaldo has wizardry levels of skill, it was by no means an accident according to former team-mate Rio Ferdinand.
The BT Sport pundit claims the Real Madrid star regularly perfected the bizarre spot-kick technique during training at Manchester United.
Fans were left wondering whether Cristiano Ronaldo double touched the ball against PSG
The turf beneath the ball looked to move as Ronaldo went to strike the ball but it was no fluke
Rio Ferdinand outrageously claimed Ronaldo perfected the technique at Manchester United
‘He used to do that in training you know!’ Ferdinand exclaimed after Madrid ran out 3-1 winners against the Ligue 1 champions at the Santiago Bernabeu.
‘He used to mess about in training and do it but to do it in a game, I’m not saying he means it there, but he used to do it. I swear to you, crazy but he used to do it.’
While Ferdinand continued to insist his former team-mate knew exactly what he was doing, fellow pundit Paul Clement waxed lyrical about the incredible technique.
He added: ‘It takes a good player to do that! Tee it up for himself and volley it. No, there’s no way you can see that. It’s an excellent penalty. Areola went the right way and he’s not far away from it. The pace and the accuracy, very difficult to save that.’
While the pundit described the technique as ‘crazy’ he was adamant it was not a one off
Ronaldo’s brace against PSG took him to 21 Champions League goals in his last 12 matches
Ronaldo’s penalty – Madrid’s and his own second of the night – took him to 21 goals from his last 12 Champions League appearances, leaving Ferdinand with the assessment that he treats Europe’s premium competition like a ‘school cup’.
After falling behind in the first leg tie to a goal from Adrien Rabiot, Madrid responded thanks to Ronaldo’s brace and a third from left back Marcelo.
The La Liga side will now find themselves favourites to progress to the quarter-finals ahead of the second leg at the Parc des Princes on March 6.
