Cristiano Ronaldo has celebrated his goals for years by sprinting to the sideline, leaping into the air, and yelling “SIUUUU” when he lands.
However, he has celebrated his last two strikes differently.
Ronaldo raced to the touchline, closed his eyes, and placed his hands across his chest after scoring against Everton in the English Premier League in early October and Sheriff Tiraspol in the Europa League on Thursday night.
According to Manchester United, the new celebration is a self-deprecating joke that pokes fun at his reputation for dozing off on the field.
United stated, “Cristiano is renowned for taking care of himself and ensuring he is constantly in the greatest possible condition, which requires hours of hard work on the training field and in the gym.”
It has been alleged that Ronaldo takes multiple naps every day.
United said that the celebration is a “nod” to the pose he assumes while traveling.
—SI Soccer (@si soccer)
27 October 2022
Ronaldo completed United’s 3-0 victory over Sheriff in the 81st minute, after Diogo Dalot and Marcus Rashford had scored.
But it hasn’t been all smooth sailing for the Portuguese superstar in recent weeks, as United boss Erik ten Hag decided to leave him out of the team for Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea.
United’s 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday prompted Ten Hag to bench Ronaldo, who reportedly refused to come on as a substitute and departed the home dugout prior to the final whistle.
—Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano)
27 October 2022
As punishment, the 38-year-old trained separately from the rest of Manchester United’s first-team group in the days leading up to the match against Tottenham.
After the event, Ronaldo wrote on Instagram, “sometimes the heat of the moment overcomes us.”
A post by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano) on Twitter.
“Right now, I feel I must continue to work hard at Carrington, support my teammates, and be prepared for everything in each given game,” he said.
“Giving in to pressure has never been an option. This is Manchester United, and we must stand united. We’ll be back together soon.”