VIRGIL VAN DIJK has responded to a personal attack on him by the sister of Cristiano Ronaldo – by praising the Juventus star.
Ballon d’Or runner-up Van Dijk, 28, hailed Ronaldo, along with six-time record winner, Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.
Virgil van Dijk has responded to criticism from the sister of Cristiano Ronaldo by praising the former Manchester United star
Ronaldo’s sister Katia Aveiro had slammed the Liverpool defender after he jokingly asked if the Portuguese sensation was up for the award this year.
He responded to an interviewer, who said: “Cristiano won’t be here, so that’s already one one rival less” by saying, “Was he a rival then?”
But that infuriated keyboard warrior Katia.
As part of a long rant she posted on Instagram, she said: “You see, my dear Virgil, that Cristiano Ronaldo was a tri-champion in the country where you have been playing for years and you still haven’t got your hand on the trophy.”
But Van Dijk wrote on Twitter: “Firstly I’d like to congratulate Lionel Messi on winning your historic sixth Ballon d’Or.
“As I also said last night at the ceremony, it’s important to sit back and admire greatness when it’s in front of you. Congratulations on another incredible year.
“On a personal level it was an honour to be nominated and I’m extremely proud to have come second and in the same company as two of the greatest players to ever play the game in Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
“We’ve enjoyed some good battles this year and I hope there will be many more to come.”
Many thought Van Dijk would win the top prize this year after Liverpool won the Champions League.
The centre-half had won the Uefa player of the year in the autumn.
He also posted: “I am proud of my journey and I hope that my route in the game can help inspire others to always believe in yourself and never give up on your dreams.
“I am hungry for more success on the pitch and will be working as hard as I can to keep improving and to continue to strive to be the best that I can be.
“It’s been an incredible 2019 so far but none of this would have been possible without the love and support of my family, thank you for always being there.
“I must also say a huge thank you again to all of my team-mates at Liverpool and the national team.
“Finally thank you to everyone in the football world for all of your messages of support, it means a lot to me and my family.”
Ballon d’Or ✨ pic.twitter.com/yu5wcziEBz
— Virgil van Dijk (@VirgilvDijk) December 3, 2019
Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says the next two games give his team the chance to prove themselves
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
