Ronaldo's relaxation techniques

14/10/2006 10:43, Report by Steve Bartram



Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed his unusual methods of dealing with stress - garden football, breaking TV sets and playing the bongoes!

In an interview on Portuguese TV, the 21-year-old winger lifted the lid on how he unwinds at home, away from the high-profile arena of top-flight football.

He said: "When I was mad once I put a television set up in a tree in my garden and tried to knock it down by kicking a football at it. And it worked! I was mad, really p***** off.

"I play football in my garden. I even broke a window once when we were playing outside. I made a pass to my cousin Nuno but the ball hit the glass and broke it!

"I also have boxing gloves to hit something or someone to relieve stress. And I like to play the Jambe - bongo drums - because it feels good."

Cristiano also admitted that he does not handle defeat well, and usually ends up hiding away in his spare bedroom after a bad day at the office.

"Sometimes when I perform badly or when things don't go the way I want them to, I come straight home," he said. "I eat something, follow the stairs, turn left, enter the small bedroom and lock the door. I just stay there."