After Sunday’s 6-0 win against Luxembourg, Cristiano Ronaldo debuted a unique celebration that featured the “nap stance” from Manchester United.
When Ronaldo scored against Everton in October, he did the celebration for the first time. That’s how the Portuguese legend reportedly slept.
In a contentious interview with Piers Morgan in which he criticized United, Ten Hag, the Glazers, and even former colleagues Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney, the 38-year-old announced his departure from Old Trafford in November. After leaving Real Madrid for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, Ronaldo reportedly stopped using the “nap celebration” in favour of the “Siu” he popularized when playing for Real Madrid.
On Sunday, though, in a victory against European also-rans Luxembourg, the 38-year-old unveiled a brand-new celebration. Ronaldo scored the game’s first goal in the ninth minute and immediately started doing the ‘Siu’ celebration before switching to the ‘nap’ stance as he landed.
Ronaldo may have departed the Theatre of Dreams under a cloud, but until very recently he had decided to remain silent on the subject. Yet in a press conference before their game against Liechtenstein, the forward discussed his departure.
He said: “Sometimes, you have to go through some things to see who is on my side. I have no problem saying, I had a bad career run, but there’s no time for regrets. Life goes on and, doing well or not, it was part of my growth. When we are at the top of the mountain, we often cannot see what is below. Now, I’m more prepared and learning that was important, because I had never been through this, like in the last few months. Now I’m a better man.”
