Latest articles by Dani Gil
‘I’d trade three of my Champions Leagues for a World Cup. I’d still have two Champions Leagues – how many footballers can say that?’ Marcelo on reflects on his trophy-laden career
EXCLUSIVE The Brazilian left-back accumulated five Champions League winners’ medals during his time at Real Madrid
‘Chelsea couldn't keep me due to financial sanctions. Even my wife had to stop going to the club gym because Chelsea could no longer pay the fees’ Saul Niguez opens up on his Chelsea loan move
EXCLUSIVE The former Spain international spent the 2021/22 season on loan at Stamford Bridge
‘Bale’s overhead kick showed that football is sometimes more improvisation than planning. He scored like that because he needed to’ Marcelo on what it meant to assist Gareth Bale’s Champions League final stunner against Liverpool
EXCLUSIVE The Welshman’s superlative overhead kick helped see off Liverpool in the 2018 Champions League final
‘Despite being a legend, Zidane showed humility. He was different from the rest – and he was our coach. We were fortunate’ Marcelo opens up on what his best Real Madrid managers brought to the club
EXCLUSIVE The Brazilian was managed by the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti at the Bernabeu
‘Diego Simeone is almost a god at Atleti, but he’s earned that status. He has changed the club’s history’ Saul Niguez on what Simeone means to Atletico Madrid fans
EXCLUSIVE Niguez played under the Argentine in Madrid for 12 seasons
‘Playing a World Cup in your own country, defending your national colours, with all your people around you, and then losing 7-1 was indescribably painful’ Marcelo on Brazil’s 2014 thrashing by Germany
EXCLUSIVE Hosts Brazil were left humbled on home soil in the 2014 World Cup semi-final
‘Having to play under the pressure of being the new Roberto Carlos, who was also my role model, made joining Real Madrid even harder’ Marcelo opens up on what it’s like to replace an icon
EXCLUSIVE Marcelo was brought in at the Bernabeu to replace his countryman in 2007
‘It was an immense privilege to play with Cristiano Ronaldo. He’s an extraterrestrial’ Marcelo on what it’s like to share a pitch with the Portugal icon
EXCLUSIVE The Brazilian full-back was a team-mate with Ronaldo at the Bernabeu for nine seasons
‘Mourinho was a born winner – he pushed us, he took us to the limit. Real had gone too long without winning and a club of that magnitude couldn’t allow that to happen’ Marcelo on Jose Mourinho’s El Clasico impact at Real Madrid
EXCLUSIVE The Portuguese ended a four-year wait for the La Liga title at Real Madrid
‘When Ronaldo went off, we thought, ‘We’ve lost our best player, what’s going to happen now?’ But at the same time it also gave us strength’ Nani on Portugal’s historic Euro 2016 win
EXCLUSIVE The former Manchester United winger assumed the armband when Ronaldo was injured in the final
‘When the news arrived of Sergio Aguero’s winner against QPR, that killed us. We would rather have lost the title by several points’ Nani on Manchester United’s infamous 2011/12 Premier League title defeat
EXCLUSIVE The Red Devils missed out on the title to rivals Manchester City on goal difference
‘Whenever Ronaldo and I cross paths in Portugal, it’s always a good excuse to meet again, have a laugh and relive the moments we shared’ Nani details his relationship with his former club and country team-mate
EXCLUSIVE Nani and Ronaldo played together for club and country
‘My whole life flashed through my mind when I went up to take my penalty in the Champions League final. There was no margin for error’ Nani on what it meant step up during the 2008 Champions League final shootout
EXCLUSIVE The Portuguese took a crucial spot-kick during the penalty shootout against Chelsea
‘My nickname came from my older sister, then when I started going out and dancing, everyone called me Nani too. These little things stick’ Nani reveals the origins of his nickname
EXCLUSIVE The future Manchester United pair played together at Sporting’s academy as youngsters
'If Cristiano didn’t win or things didn’t go well, he’d cry’
EXCLUSIVE The future Manchester United pair played together at Sporting’s academy as youngsters
‘Manchester United needed a manager who understood the club’s culture. David Moyes arrived with a small-club mentality and made poor decisions’ Nani on why Red Devils struggled after Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement
EXCLUSIVE Moyes was the chosen one when Sir Alex called time on his 26-year Manchester United career in 2013
‘There were stories in the newspapers every week, but I hadn’t paid much attention to them’ Nani on his life-changing move to Manchester United
EXCLUSIVE Nani followed Cristiano Ronaldo from Sporting CP to Man United in 2007
‘He'd often give me little warnings when I wasn't playing well’ Nani on playing under Manchester United icon Sir Alex Ferguson
EXCLUSIVE Nani won the Premier League and Champions League with Manchester United in the last seasons of Ferguson's management
‘Playing with Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez at Manchester United was like a PlayStation game’ Nani on being part of the Red Devils’ all-action forward line
EXCLUSIVE Manchester United had a potent attacking corps between 2007 and 2009
Cristiano Ronaldo's thousand goal stare
EXCLUSIVE Three years since Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al Nassr, he’s laser-focused on hitting another milestone – 2026 will see him play his last World Cup and further his quest to become the first player to officially score 1,000 career goals. As those who know him tell FFT, he won’t be retiring until he’s done it
‘People wanted Ronaldo banned at the start of the World Cup – it was disrespectful to a player who’s put Portugal on the map. FIFA treated him fairly’ Maniche on Cristiano Ronaldo’s red card controversy
EXCLUSIVE The ban following Ronaldo’s red card against Ireland was suspended by FIFA
‘Footballers really are just very normal people, and that’s what I found with him. I had the chance to live and work alongside Cristiano, it was a very pleasant surprise’ Alvaro Gonzalez on what Cristiano Ronaldo is really like off the pitch
EXCLUSIVE The Al Nassr dressing room welcomed Ronaldo to the Saudi Pro League in December 2022
‘I’d place the Saudi Pro League just behind Europe’s top leagues. Signing Cristiano Ronaldo alone isn’t enough to guarantee titles’ CR-7's former team-mate on the standards he faces at Al Nassr
EXCLUSIVE Ronaldo made the move to the Saudi Pro League in 2023, but has found silverware hard to come by
‘Ronaldo is no longer the fast player he once was, but he’s still lethal in the box and that’s what he needs to maximise at the World Cup’ Maniche on how Cristiano Ronaldo can succeed this summer
EXCLUSIVE Ronaldo's former Portugal team-mate believes the Al Nassr man still has a role to play this summer
