Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Euro final: French defender Sagna 'not afraid' of Ronaldo challenge

July 09, 2016 18:48 IST

France's Bacary Sagna (centre), Patrice Evra and Hugo Lloris celebrate a win

IMAGE: France's Bacary Sagna (2nd from left), Patrice Evra (left) and their France teammates celebrate a win. Photograph: Christian Hartmann Livepic/Reuters

France right back Bacary Sagna will face the daunting task of keeping a close eye on Cristiano Ronaldo in Sunday's Euro 2016 final.

Sagna's immediate problem is Ronaldo, recovering from a sluggish start to the tournament and hungry for his first major title with Portugal.

"He's an exceptional player and it won't be easy," Sagna said.

"What you have to do is keep a close eye on him all the time, stay close to him and make sure you don't allow him too much space."

Sagna, usually happy to let others take the limelight, has won praise for his performances since the start of the tournament.

Softly spoken off the pitch, he has shown his determination on it, notably when he was seen shouting at sometimes shaky centre back Adil Rami. Facing Ronaldo, the ManchesterCity defender said, would not be a problem.

"I'm used to playing against excellent players every weekend so no, I'm not afraid," he said.

'Griezmann in same league as Ronaldo, Messi'

Source: REUTERS
© Copyright 2024 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.