In 2009, during the group stage of the Champions League, OM faced Real Madrid in a match that will be remembered. That day, Souleymane Diawara, Marseille defender, received a red card after a strong tackle on Cristiano Ronaldo. An intervention which injured the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, keeping him away from the field for almost three months. A difficult period for CR7, who had just joined Real Madrid after shining at Manchester United.
In a recent interview, Diawara acknowledged the harshness of his gesture, while affirming that he did not intend to seriously injure the Portuguese. He also revealed that OM had sent an email of apology to Real Madrid, to which the Spanish club responded professionally.
Diawara on CR7: “It’s cheating to have a player like that”
Souleymane Diawara was full of praise for Cristiano Ronaldo, calling the player a ” monster “. “He tired me from start to finish. You can’t stop him, it’s cheating to have a player like that”, he said, adding that he was impressed by the Portuguese’s performance that evening. Despite this unfortunate episode, the Portuguese came back even stronger from this injury, setting numerous records in the Real Madrid jersey.
