@walker0.47: Diego Simeone on Cristiano Ronaldo’s Champions League Impact Diego Simeone has never hidden his deep respect for Cristiano Ronaldo, admitting the Portuguese forward was the primary obstacle standing between Atlético Madrid and European glory: “If Cristiano Ronaldo weren’t a football player, I would have already won three Champions League titles with Atlético de Madrid.” Few rivalries in UEFA Champions League history have been as one-sided in crucial moments as CR7 vs. Simeone’s Colchoneros. 2014 Lisbon Final: Scored in the 4–1 extra-time victory to secure La Décima for Real Madrid. 2015 Quarter-Finals: Assisted Javier Hernández’s 88th-minute tie-winner. 2016 Milan Final: Converted the winning penalty kick in the shootout victory. 2017 Semi-Finals: Struck a devastating first-leg hat-trick at the Santiago Bernabéu. 2019 Round of 16 (Juventus): Overturned a 2–0 first-leg deficit by scoring a legendary hat-trick in Turin to eliminate Atleti once again. Across 37 total matches against Atlético Madrid, Ronaldo scored 25 goals and registered 4 hat-tricks, solidifying his reputation as Diego Simeone’s ultimate European nemesis.
