Cristiano Ronaldo put in fine recommendation for Barcelona despite old rivalry: Pjanic

Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed a bitter rivalry against Barcelona during his stint at Real Madrid. The Portuguese legend has been a long-time rival of Blaugrana captain Lionel Messi as the two champion footballers battled for supremacy over the years. However, despite the rivalry, Miralem Pjanic has revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo gave a glowing recommendation of Barcelona before his move to the Camp Nou this summer. 

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Cristiano Ronaldo's fine recommendation of Lionel Messi's Barcelona to Miralem Pjanic

In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona new signing Miralem Pjanic revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo gave a glowing review of his former rivals, Barcelona. The 30-year-old joined Lionel Messi and co at the Camp Nou in a swap deal for Arthur earlier this summer. The former Roma star revealed that when he told Cristiano Ronaldo he was joining Barcelona, the Juventus star did not rubbish his former rivals and encouraged him to join the 'great' club.

Pjanic said that while the Portugal captain was disappointed that he was joining Barcelona, the 35-year-old told him that he will have a lot of fun in a team like Barcelona. The Bosnia and Herzegovina international further lavished praise on Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming that the former Real Madrid man has been very professional since moving to Italy. Pjanic reveals that Ronaldo has shown him many things at Juventus and has been leading by example in Turin. 

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Cristiano Ronaldo spent nine seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu, scoring a staggering 450 goals in just 438 appearances since his then-world record move in 2009. The Portuguese captain won four Champions League titles with Real Madrid and two LaLiga titles before moving to Juventus for €100 million in 2018. The  35-year-old hit 31 Serie A goals last season, breaking multiple club records. 

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Pjanic, meanwhile, signed for Barcelona in a deal initially worth €60 million. The 30-year-old moved to the Camp Nou in a co-ordinated swap for Arthur Melo. Speaking on his move to Barcelona, the former Lyon man said that the culture at the club played a big part in his transfer. Pjanic said that Barcelona's mentality is unique and the club wants to improve in all competitions and set an example for everyone. The 30-year-old will begin his Barcelona career when Lionel Messi and co face off against Villarreal in their league +opener on Sunday. 

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(Image Courtesy: Juventus, Barcelona Instagram)