Ukraine v England: Cristiano Ronaldo laughs off Wayne Rooney World Cup jibe

10 October 2009 09:50
Sign up to watch Ukraine against England now [LNB]Defeat for Portugal in their match on Saturday with Hungary would mean the Portuguese had no chance of automatic qualification. Should Sweden also beat Denmark then a play-off berth would be beyond them as well.[LNB] Related ArticlesRooney delights in Ronaldo's qualifying painEngland ready for South Africa auditionUkraine v England: Grim setting for leap into digital ageFerdinand happy there are no WAGSPortugal have been responsible for putting England out of the last two major tournaments for which they qualified, in Portugal in 2004 and Germany in 2006, both at the quarter-final stage.[LNB]And Rooney suggested that it would be no bad thing for England's World Cup chances in South Africa if his former team-mate is not standing in England's way again.[LNB]''It'd be nice to see Portugal not there, because in the last two tournaments they've knocked us out,' said Rooney, who failed to finish both those matches, first through injury and then through a sending off for a stamp on Portugal's Ricardo Carvalho at the previous World Cup.[LNB]England have already booked their place in South Africa ahead of their penultimate qualifying fixture in Ukraine later today, but Portugal's position is still in the balance.[LNB]Regardless, Ronaldo, who left Manchester United for Real Madrid in the summer for a world record £80m transfer fee, thinks Rooney was just winding him up when he said he was hopeful that Portugal's qualification campaign ends in disappointment.[LNB]'Rooney knows he doesn't have good memories of Portugal,' Ronaldo told the Sun newspaper.[LNB]'Wayne has played against us several times and never won.[LNB]'He said it in jest, I don't believe he said it because he doesn't like us.'[LNB]Sign up to watch Ukraine against England now [LNB]EmailPrint .at15t_email {display:none !important;}Share|tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/england/6289526/Ukraine-v-England-Cristiano-Ronaldo-laughs-off-Wayne-Rooney-World-Cup-jibe.html';tweetmeme_style = 'compact';tweetmeme_source = 'TelegraphNews';Email|Printhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/england/6289526/Ukraine-v-England-Cristiano-Ronaldo-laughs-off-Wayne-Rooney-World-Cup-jibe.htmlTelegraphNews England 

Source: Telegraph