Rio Ferdinand, a former England and Manchester United star has suggested that Thierry Henry harbors some animosity towards Cristiano Ronaldo, pinpointing a potential reason behind it.
Ferdinand, who shared the dressing room with Ronaldo during their time at Old Trafford, speculated on the dynamics between the two footballing legends.
During a recent podcast, Ferdinand delved into the perceptions of Ronaldo within the footballing community, particularly focusing on the perspectives of Henry and Brazilian icon Ronaldo Nazario.
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Ferdinand on beef between Ronaldo and Henry
Ferdinand explains the tension between Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo, attributing it to a perceived issue regarding the similarity in their names.
The ex-Man United defender said, as reported by the Mirror, "There's beef there somewhere you know. It's cause of the name. I think because of the name, as if he says, 'You took my name, so I have a problem with you'."
His co-host chimed in, highlighting the potentially disrespectful nature of referring to Ronaldo Nazario as the "fat Ronaldo" after Cristiano's emergence. Ferdinand continued:
"It's the same with Thierry [Henry]. Thierry is the same. The way I see Thierry talk about Cristiano, it's more what he doesn't say. He doesn't talk about him with any zest or spark."
Ferdinand Recounts Incidents
Ferdinand recalled an incident at Highbury involving Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo, suggesting a possible underlying tension. He recounted:
"It's like he's downplaying Cristiano a lot. There was a clip at Highbury when Henry slaps him on the back of his head or something like that and Cristiano pushes him off.
“Cristiano then scored the winner and Henry's taking the kick-off with the goalscorer in the background."
Despite their beef, Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo later had a cordial relationship in 2022, where they were pictured embracing before kick-off.