Cristiano Ronaldo's strict phone rule imposed on his Portugal teammates has been revealed by one of his former national team colleagues.
Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, is one of the most meticulous professionals in all of sport and has a strict and disciplined routine which has enabled him to get to the very top.
The Al Nassr superstar doesn't have fizzy drinks as part of his strict diet and is also known to engage in a strict 90-minute nap schedule as well as cryotherapy for recovery.
But former Arsenal defender Cedric Soares has revealed that Ronaldo also has a strict mobile phone rule which he encouraged his teammates to get involved in.
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The 40-year-old, who has won the European Championships as well as two UEFA Nations League titles with Portugal, instructed his teammates to put their devices away in order to converse with one another.
Speaking to ESPN, via World Soccer Talk, Soares said: “In the national team, he used to say: ‘No cell phones, let’s go to the room and talk for a bit'".
With 661 million followers, Ronaldo is the most followed person on Instagram but he feels there is a negative element to social media and technology.
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In fact, according to Soares, Ronaldo keeps his phone out of the bedroom to ensure he gets a good sleep and would block the 5G signal which he felt would be harmful.
"One of the most peculiar things about him, at a certain hour, he stops using his phone," he continued.
"He says it affects sleep, so he keeps it out of the bedroom.
“There was a time when he told me: ‘Cedric, you can’t use 5G because it might harm your sleep,’
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“That was when 5G first came out. I don’t know if he still does it, but he used to block the signal to sleep a certain number of hours.”
Cristiano Ronaldo refused son's phone request
In the past, Ronaldo has claimed he did not allow his son Cristiano Jr to have a mobile phone despite him nagging for one, as he did not wish for him to "be obsessed about technology".
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At the time Cristiano Jr was 11 and nearly turning 12, with his famous father outlining the difference with the younger generation.
`Speaking after collecting Globe Soccer's Top Scorer of All Time award, he said: "I say to him, 'Cristiano, you have time.'
"I know as well that this young generation are one step ahead of their age so I agree that we have to take advantage of that but not to be obsessed about technology.
"Give them but with a period of time, not give them all the time. I think that’s the main point here."
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After extending his contract with Al Nassr, Ronaldo is preparing for the new season and scored a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Rio Ave.
They take on Spanish side Almeria on Sunday before they face Al Ittihad in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final on 19 August.
Josh Lawless