Cristiano Ronaldo Talks About His Nike CR Collection - Interview
Man of the moment Cristiano Ronaldo took some time to discuss his Nike CR collection, music and how he enjoyed spending time in a recording studio with international and club team-mate Pepe. New signature boots, a new clothing line...life's not too bad for Cristiano right now.
A music studio isn't typically associated with Cristiano Ronaldo. What have you been up to?
CR: This is the first time that I have been in a recording studio and the guys are great. We all love music so we decided to come here and have a jam session, do a little rap which I think came out well. It s been great fun. I enjoyed it a lot.
Is it harder than it looks?
CR: Much harder. It looks easy but, like any job, like sport, you can spend hours on it, you can practice and still it doesn t come off. It s very hard to pick up an instrument and play, or to sing ... very hard. It s easy to play football?
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You seem to have really enjoyed it... CR: Yes. I told the guys and Pepe too: we could spend a whole day here putting music together and we d come up with something [good] for sure. It s enjoyable to do something totally different to what I do day to day, so I had a great time.
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CR: Almost everything revolves around football because it s my career and my life and you try to do everything to be in the best possible condition. So, any moment I have away from football I try to spend with friends and family doing things that can t normally do when I am in competition. I like to play other sports, for example.
Throughout the year it s almost always the same routine - training sessions, hotels, travelling. I wouldn t say it is a hard life but you don t have much free time.
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The CR Collection reflects that duality, on and off the pitch. What do you love most about it?
CR: It s very nice. The small details are lovely. You see for example the heart with the cross through it, which is a phenomenal idea. It s a symbol that reflects my way of bein I am a person who likes to compete, who likes to win and who hates to lose.
That s what the symbol represents for me. I am very pleased to be part of a select group of athletes who have their own range within a brand like Nike. It makes me very proud.
You mention the small details. Could we describe that as a kind of search for perfection? And does that reflect your personality too?
CR: I think so. If you are a competitive person who likes to win you do all you can to make that happen. That s what I try to do: I work hard with the intention to keep on improving. I try to work at it so that things go perfectly in the games. I think I am a perfectionist who wants to win.
Off the pitch too?
CR : Less so. I am a perfectionist in my work. Away from my profession, I like to do things as well as I can but I wouldn t say I was a perfectionist. With this collection for example I was not the one that had to be a perfectionist. Nike helped me with that and the collection looks great.
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The CR Collection blends classic looks with modern touches. Is that what you wanted to see coming out of the collection?
CR: Yes, absolutely. I like it. It s a nice mix. It s a classic look but with details that stand out. I m still a young man and I like that: classic and youthful, it s a good combination.
The CR Mercurial VIII is a classic black boot with a pink sole continuing that blend of classic / modern style of the collection. How important is the boot to your overall look on pitch?
CR: The boots are a bit more personal and I like to be involved. I like them a lot. I always give Nike my feedback on them so that the designers know what I like, how I feel wearing them, and whether they are comfortable. In the years I have been with Nike the boots have evolved a lot and are made to a very high standard. Every player who plays in Nike is very happy and wouldn t swap them for anything! They re very good.
With a pink sole on your new boots, opponents will only see you when you disappear into the distance, heading towards goal...
CR: Hopefully. That would be a good a sign. It would mean they re not going to catch me. Nike always have great ideas and that is reflected in the boot. It s a nice touch. The boots are always different, with great details that set them apart.
Last season you scored a huge amount of goals and your team won the league with 100 points. Will it be easy to maintain that level of form this season?
CR: It s never easy because you have to be at your very best, a very high level. You have to be in good shape physically and mentally and that can be hard. You have to be ready. My aim is always to be at my best. I hope to repeat things from last season, to work hard, score as many goals as I can and win tittles.
Titles are the key. I would rather score only ten goals and win something than score hundreds and not. I am sure we re going to fight for titles this season and I m convinced my team will win something big.
