Cristiano Ronaldo compares playing in empty stadiums to 'circus without clowns'

Cristiano Ronaldo achieved an important milestone in his already decorated career as he netted a brace to take his international tally to 101 goals this week. However, the Portugal captain isn't happy playing football without fans in the stadium. The 35-year-old superstar believes that games behind closed doors resemble "a circus without a clown". 

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'It's like a circus without a clown': Cristiano Ronaldo on playing football without fans 

After the game against Sweden in the UEFA Nations League, Cristiano Ronaldo spoke to the media. On being asked his thoughts on playing football without fans in the arena, the five-time Champions League winner compared the situation to a circus without a clown or a garden without flowers.

Cristiano Ronaldo has become accustomed to the roaring crowd as he celebrates along the sidelines after scoring, something that has been missing over the past few months. Cristiano Ronaldo stated that it's not a good feeling to play football without fans, but he has accepted the fact citing it as an important effort in curbing the spread of coronavirus. He revealed that he meditates before the game to prepare himself for an outing without a packed stadium. 

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Cristiano Ronaldo misses jeers in the stadium 

However, the Portugal legend doesn't only miss the roaring crowd that cheers him. The Juve superstar said he also misses people jeering him for not performing well in the game, adding that it motivates him to perform better. Cristiano Ronaldo still insists that health should be a priority and they should respect it. 

The absence of fans in the stadium hasn't impacted Cristiano Ronaldo's performance on the field. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner achieved an important feat against Sweden in the UEFA Nations League, completing 100 goals for the Portugal national team. Interestingly, this feat hasn't been achieved by any other European so far. 

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Cristiano Ronaldo trails behind Ali Daei

Cristiano Ronaldo finished his 100th goal against Sweden with a splendid freekick, leaving his fans awestruck. He went on to score again later in the game, striking a stunner from outside the penalty box. He has now notched up 101 goals in 165 appearances and is the highest active international goalscorer in the world. Cristiano Ronaldo needs 10 more goals to overtake the all-time international goalscoring record. The Portugal captain trails behind Iran legend Ali Daei's tally of 109 goals. Daei achieved the milestone in 149 appearances. 

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Image courtesy: UEFA.com