Ruud van Nistelrooy insists he has no argument with Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of Holland’s game with Portugal in the last 16 of the World Cup.
The Manchester United team-mates had a training ground row last season, which Ronaldo claims was “nothing at all“.
“I think the lads at United knew that, he knows and I know so I’ll say the same as he did,” said Van Nistelrooy in the Daily Mail.
“Nothing happened and we get on really well. I have no problem with Ronaldo, that’s definitely the situation.”
Holland drew 0-0 with Argentina to finish runners-up in Group C and set up a tie with Group D winners Portugal on Sunday.
Ronaldo had already moved to distance himself from a rift with Van Nistelrooy before the tournament began in Germany.
“It was nothing much at all,” he said. “Quarrels happen in all teams, in all professions. It’s perfectly normal to have these small disagreements and that’s what happened, something perfectly normal. It’s a storm in a tea-cup. Yet people are turning it into something it isn’t. All I can do is repeat what I have already said and that is that what happened wasn’t anything special. Ruud is actually someone I get on particularly well with.”
There is a question mark hanging over Van Nistelrooy’s future at United after he was sent home from the squad to face Charlton on the final day of the Premiership season.
But for the moment he will be concentrating on what he knows will be a tough meeting with Portugal and try to help Holland reach a similar level to Argentina.
Argentina are being touted as favourites after their performances and, even after resting players against the Dutch, Van Nistelrooy was impressed by them.
“They are strong,” he said. “It was the sort of game where we were both through but you could feel the strength of their team – their quality up front and midfield. We can’t deny we had our hands full. We tried to play a bit more but they put a lot of pressure on us. We didn’t get the chance to create many chances and that also says something. We had to hold on for the result. I think we came through the group well but we didn’t play really convincingly like Argentina did.
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