Ronaldo: "I hope Juventus don't do too well in the Champions League, that cup is ours"

"In my head, I'm the best player in the world. And I work hard every day with the ambition to be the strongest." Clear ideas from Cristiano Ronaldo, who actually has some data to back up his claims: 3 Ballon d'Ors, 556 total goals in his career, and 20 trophies between club and international play. His natural habitat? The Champions League, a competition that gives off unique emotions, described by the Portuguese superstar to La Gazzetta dello Sport: "There's a different atmosphere, it's unique. I won't say that it gives you more motivation, but something different yes. In feel it in the teams but also in the fans. Us at Real Madrid, the bond that we have with this cup is stronger than our opponents'. This explains the fact that the club has won eleven. Penalty at the San Siro? I knew that it was decisive. But to be honest I must say that I was calm, I had lots of confidence that I would score. Score 17 goals in one Champions League tournament? There is room to do better. I have the ambition to always exceed myself. I'm motivated and I believe that this is the key to my success." Rivals in the Champions League? "There aren't any surprises. The rivals are always the same. Juventus? Of course, they will go very far. In the last few years they have been playing well, it's a strong team, especially at the Juventus Stadium where it is truly difficult to beat them. Higuain-Dybala? Yes, one of the strongest pairs in the world, it's true. I was a teammate of Higuain, he's a good striker who scores a lot. But they count the final numbers at the end of the season according to the trophies that you win. I hope that they don't do too well in the Champions because that cup is ours. We want to be the first to win it two years in a row. Let's say I wouldn't mind if Juve wins the scudetto. Napoli? I see them doing very well. I followed their match against Benfica and I got the idea that they are a strong group. Callejon is having a great start to the season, I'm happy." CR7 talked about Inter and his international teammate Joao Mario: "I think he provides real added value: he's very good and you'll see that he gives his all. We talked, he told me that the team has great players and that the Serie A is very difficult, but he's adapting well. He still doesn't know your language but within a few months he'll be able to get away with it. Inter and Juventus wanted to give me an opportunity to play in Italy, but my dream was to play in Manchester and I went there. Serie A? A challenging league, and after a few tough years it is returning to the top. Very good players have arrived and the level of play has been raised. This is good for Europe too, because now in the Champions League, the most competitive teams will be there. Totti? He's one of the greats and continues to be one. I realized this last year when I faced him as an opponent. It's important for young people, who have to understand that age does not matter." @GIANMARCalciO