"He came to ask me for my jersey" - Former French forward Jimmy Briand recalls incident with 'emotional' Cristiano Ronaldo

Former French forward Jimmy Briand has shared an anecdote about his experience playing against Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo two decades ago.

The Al-Nassr superstar is arguably one of the greatest players of all time, having won five Ballons d'Or. He has also enjoyed significant success with both club and country, winning almost every trophy available to him.

It is common for opposing players to ask Ronaldo for his jersey after games, given his stature. Briand, though, had a slightly different experience as it was the Portuguese icon who took the initiative when they locked horns 21 years ago.

In 2002, Briand helped France beat Portugal 2-0 in the UEFA European Under-17 Championship. Ronaldo was in the starting line-up for Selecao, but had a forgetful game as he was sent off in the 80th minute.

The then 17-year-old also clashed with the former Olympique Lyonnais forward during the game. However, the superstar did not shy away from admitting his mistake, apologizing to Briand at the hotel later that night.

Cristiano Ronaldo also requested that the Frenchman swap shirts with him to make amends. Looking back at the incident, Briand said on Canal+ (via Record):

"We played against each other, me and Cristiano, during the UEFA European Under-17 Championship (in 2002). I have his shirt but no name because it was the Under-17s."

"Ronaldo was young, he was already very good, but very emotional. He was very emotional. He was a little upset that we were beating them and at the end of the game he made a fuss with me."

Briand continued:

"He had received a red card, but we were in the same hotel as the Portuguese. That night, I heard a knock on my door and it was Ronaldo who had come to apologize; he came to ask me for the shirt. That's why this photo circulates on social media."

Briand went on to play against Cristiano Ronaldo four more times as a senior player. All those games came in the UEFA Champions League in 2011, with the Frenchman playing for Lyon and the Portuguese for Real Madrid. The two swapped shirts on one of those occasions as well.

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Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr face Al-Adalah this week

Cristiano Ronaldo had a fruitful international break with Portugal, helping the team win their UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Luxembourg. He notably bagged five goals, taking his tally in international football to 122.

The 38-year-old will return to action in club football when Al-Nassr face Al-Adalah in the Saudi Pro League on Tuesday (April 4). He has nine goals and two assists in eight games in the league.