Olaleye Idowu
Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed that he loved playing at Barcelona’s home ground, Camp Nou, despite the hostile reception from Catalan supporters.
Ronaldo, a former Real Madrid forward, regularly visited Camp Nou during his time with Los Blancos.
The Portuguese football icon had an intense rivalry with then-Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi, which added a new dimension to the fabled El Clasico.
Ronaldo also visited Camp Nou as a Manchester United and Juventus player and has a decent record at the stadium.
The second-highest Ballon d’Or winner in history played at Camp Nou 20 times in his career.
He scored 20 goals in 34 games against Barcelona, 15 of which were scored at the Catalans’ home ground.
Thus, it is not surprising that the home crowd was not too fond of him.
However, speaking to journalist Edu Aguirre, Ronaldo insisted that he loved the crowd’s reaction.
“I loved playing in the Camp Nou. They booed me, they insulted me, and I loved it!” Ronaldo said (via journalist Fabrizio Romano’s X handle).
Ronaldo’s last appearance at Camp Nou came during the 2020-21 campaign in the Champions League as a Juventus player.
