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Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo jokingly apologized to Gigi Buffon for scoring his iconic overhead kick against him in the UEFA Champions League. The Portuguese legend scored one of the most iconic goals in the history of the tournament for Los Blancos against Juventus.
In the first-leg of the 2017-18 Champions League quarterfinals, Los Blancos faced the Old Lady in Turin. They secured a 3-0 victory, thanks to a brace by the Portuguese forward, who scored an exception overhead kick in the 64th minute after being set-up by Dani Caravajal. Buffon was in goal for Juventus in that match, but helplessly watched on that occasion as the ball soared into his net.
Speaking at the UCL 2024-25 draw after he was awarded the prize for the highest goalscorer in the tournament's history, the legendary forward jokingly apologized to the Italian.
Ronaldo moved to Italy that summer to play for Juventus and became teammates with Buffon. They played together 26 times before the Italian shot-stopper left the club for Parma and Ronaldo for United in 2021.
Gigi Buffon once picked Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo as the player who caused him the most pain
In an interview with The BSMT, Buffon was asked to name the forward which caused him the most pain in his career. The Italian legend chose Cristiano Ronaldo and said that the Portuguese forward caused him "great frustration". He said (via Tribuna.com):
"In our time, Cristiano Ronaldo. He always scored against me. It's unbelievable. I saw him make good moves during matches that I had never seen before. You could see he had that kind of energy, as a result of his determination."
Gigi Buffon concluded by commenting on the Real Madrid legend's competitiveness, saying:
“The ‘nastiness’ with which I saw him make certain gestures during a match, I haven’t seen in any other player. You could clearly see this ‘mean’ energy, which was, however, the fruit of this desire to win at all costs.”
Cristiano Ronaldo played alongside the Italian at Juventus after he joined from Real Madrid for €117 million in 2018. He won two Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia title, and two Italian Super Cup titles with the club.
