Lazio defender Luca Pellegrini has revealed the profound impact playing against Cristiano Ronaldo had on him. The full-back was on the pitch when the Al-Nassr superstar scored his first Serie A hat-trick while at Juventus.
Pellegrini faced Ronaldo multiple times during his spells with Cagliari and Genoa. He specifically remembers the Portuguese forward`s treble in January 2020, which helped Maurizio Sarri`s Juventus secure a dominant 4-0 win against Cagliari.
While going through his impressive collection of swapped jerseys accumulated throughout his career, the 26-year-old, who is currently on loan at Lazio from Juventus, reflected on his matchups with Ronaldo, valuable advice received from Paul Pogba, and a memorable physical encounter with Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Speaking about his collection, Pellegrini shared: “Paul Pogba gave me his jersey with a lovely dedication and offered plenty of advice. Over time, I`ve come to realize that truly great players also possess a strong human side. For instance, [former Roma and Inter midfielder Radja Nainggolan] might have a wild reputation, but he`s a good person at heart.”
“Goran Pandev is an idol for me and many Lazio supporters. My collection also includes jerseys from Gareth Bale and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. I`ll never forget playing against Zlatan; I attempted to nutmeg him, and he sent me flying!”
Holding Cristiano Ronaldo`s shirt, Pellegrini added: “This one is from playing against him. Just being on the field with Ronaldo, even for a short time, left a significant impact on me.”
Now a regular for Lazio, who are competing for European qualification and had a notable run to the Europa League quarter-finals in 2024-25, Pellegrini also spoke about his footballing heroes from his youth and observed how players like Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dramatically raised the standard and expectations for goalscoring over the years.
He continued: “I admired Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho – players who danced with the ball and brought genuine emotion to the game. Today, football sometimes seems excessively focused on statistics.”
“Players like Messi and Ronaldo have truly changed the game, setting an expectation for scoring one or two goals per match almost as a norm.”
Rupert Caldwell 
Tristan Blackwood