Cristiano Ronaldo struck fear into teammates over diet and they made big change

When Cristiano Ronaldo talks, you listen, and when he sets an example you follow it.

The Portugal icon was a bona fide living legend even before he reached the incredible milestone of 900 career goals this month.

He’s set the gold standard for footballers reaching the top of their game with his relentless pursuit of perfection.

And that makes him a sensational teammate, as Alex Telles, who played with him at Manchester United and Al Nassr, can attest to.

He told Globo Esporte: “He’s extraordinary, he really likes Brazilians. When we’re away, foreigners tend to be closer to each other and he, perhaps because he’s Portuguese, is very close to Brazilians.

“We ended up having a lot of contact. For me, it was natural to be with him every day, to talk, laugh, joke.

“It was a privilege to share three years in the dressing room with Cristiano Ronaldo, to see what he does on a daily basis. He’s an example, he’s very professional.”

His professionalism isn’t new and neither is his exemplary diet.

What Ronaldo put into his body was something his Al Nassr teammates kept a close eye on.

That’s because he was keeping tabs on what they ate too.

And his finely tuned diet had his teammates fearful about upsetting such a stickler for eating the right things.

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“He has his own meal. The food is different, the nutritionist arrives with the plate already served,” Telles added.

“What does he eat? Natural things, salmon, quinoa, avocado… Then he keeps an eye on the other players’ plates, in a healthy joke.

“At first, the guys were afraid to go for dessert, we know how fit he is, how he likes to take care of himself, and everyone likes to follow good examples.

“He eats a protein after lunch, after 15 days there were about 20 proteins on the table, everyone asked the nutritionist for them, to see if there was some magic in there…”

After their spell together at Old Trafford, Ronaldo helped convince Telles about the opportunity at Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, not that it took much.

He said: “He made it easier for me to go [to Al Nassr], he called me beforehand and said, ‘come here, let’s enjoy it here, the country is opening up to football, more people are coming…’

“An invitation from him, like that, there’s no way to refuse… It was easy.”

Telles, though, had his contract ripped up at the start of the month and is now plying his trade back in his homeland of Brazil with Botafogo.

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