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Ronaldo calms Roma feud Thursday 4 October, 2007

Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo has eased tension with Roma and stresses that Mirko Vucinic’s elbow at Old Trafford was accidental.

The Portuguese ace made himself unpopular with the Giallorossi by claiming in his book Moments that Roma players “begged him to stop” during last year’s 7-1 humiliation.

Late in the game on Tuesday, Vucinic’s elbow connected with Ronaldo’s face and left him bleeding, prompting suggestions that it was an intentional attack, but the ex-Sporting Lisbon man has denied that.

“It wasn’t an intentional foul,” Ronaldo told journalists. “It was just one of those things that happen during a game.

“I don’t like black eyes, but Vucinic didn’t do it on purpose and these things happen in football.”

United triumphed 1-0 on Tuesday night, but Roma captain Francesco Totti seemed to threaten Ronaldo by insisting that he “still has to come to the Stadio Olimpico.”

While Ronaldo hasn’t taken back his comments, he believes that they have been misinterpreted and is keen to clear the air before he makes the trip to the Eternal City in December.

“Read my book and you will see on page 112 exactly what happened,” he stressed.

“A Roma player did ask me to stop dribbling, but obviously he was joking just like some English players do when they ask me to switch to the other side of the pitch.

“Roma played well and had some good chances and we aren’t the side we were in April. But we are improving and we will be better at the Olimpico in December.”

channel4.com - Football Italia