“I killed one of the most beautiful goals,” Nani looks back on his mistake against Spain in 2012 clarifying he wasn’t offside

Nani and Cristiano Ronaldo also played with each other for Manchester United.

“I killed one of the most beautiful goals,” Nani looks back on his mistake against Spain in 2012 clarifying he wasn’t offside

(L) Cristiano Ronaldo (R) Nani's headed offside goal (Source: Portugal/YouTube)

Looking back at the 2012 goal controversy, Portuguese and Manchester United legend Nani had his say on Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal against Spain. As Ronaldo dribbled past almost half of the team only to chip the goalkeeper, Nani moved on the line, heading the ball inside the goal.

He reflected on the incident with the complexities that unfolded between him and Cristiano Ronaldo after he spoilt one of his best goals ever. He said, “I killed one of the most beautiful goals in that fantastic game against Spain. I was not offside, and the ball was already inside the goal.”

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He later clarified that he apologized to Ronaldo for his carelessness and felt extremely bad about it. He clarified he wasn’t offside and took the blame for costing his team the moment.“I was not offside, and the ball was already inside the goal. I explained to Cristiano, ‘I said yes, that was wrong.’ But I was so excited. Everything was so fast… But no one will understand it in this way. They will say, ‘Yes, you killed the goal of Cristiano’,” Nani said.

However, as painful as this incident might have been, Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani were mature enough to move past and admit that this is part and parcel of football.

Related: “Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t have time to lose on building teams”- Nani defends the Portuguese’s desire to leave Manchester United

Why Nani did not play for Portugal in the 2022 Qatar World Cup

Many fans of the Portuguese National team were left wondering where Luis Nani was for Portugal in the 2022 Qatar World Cup. The forward, who once terrified the opposition’s defense lines, has been underground for his country since his controversial offside header in 2012 against Spain.

Luis Nani At Melbourne Victory
Luis Nani At Melbourne Victory (Source: Daniel Pockett)

Nani retired officially from the Portuguese National Team in 2017 as he couldn’t make the 23-man squad for the 2018 Russia World Cup. Even though the iconic winger has featured for over three European Championships for Portugal, he couldn’t find enough form to cement his place in the squad.

Nani had a formidable partnership with Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo. However, he currently plays in the Australian league for Melbourne Victory. Having debuted for the National Team in 2006, he scored 24 goals in 112 matches, leaving behind a legacy for young footballers.

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