Debate rages after Ron scores 760th career goal

PARIS: Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 760th career goal in Juventus’ 2-0 Italian Super Cup win over Napoli on Wednesday, prompting claims he is the top scorer of all time. However, doubts persist as to who actually holds the record.

Uncertainty arises from the totals of his rivals from previous eras, with the likes of Brazilian duo Pele and Romario both claiming to have netted more than 1,000 goals. Last month Barcelona’s Messi surpassed Pele’s recognised total of 643 goals for a single club, but Santos swiftly countered saying Pele racked up 1,091 goals for them including those in friendlies.

However, if just official matches are the measuring stick, the Brazilian is apparently still behind Josef Bican, who football historians calculated scored 805 goals between 1931 and 1955 playing for half a dozen clubs as well as Austria and Czechoslovakia. Pele is credited with between 757 and 767 goals in competitive matches over his career. He is listed third (767) by RSSSF behind Romario, who helped Brazil to the 1994 World Cup and ended with 772 goals.

Zidane says he still has players’ backing

MADRID: Zinedine Zidane insisted his players still believe in him after Real Madrid suffered an embarrassing defeat by third-tier side Alcoyano in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.

La Liga’s reigning champions lost 2-1 to Alcoyano, who scored a remarkable winner in extratime after having a man sent off.

Real Madrid have now won only once in their last five games, with an extraordinary loss heaping more pressure on Zidane.

Asked if he still had the backing of the players, Zidane said: “Yes I believe so, you have to ask them. We’ve done good things this season, apart from the last four games. Now we have La Liga and the Champions League and we have to work. Whether my message gets through, you have to ask them.”

‘United reaping rewards of improved mentality’ LONDON: Manchester United’s improved mentality is helping them grind out results in tight games, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said after Wednesday’s 2-1 win at Fulham took them top of the Premier League.

“We’ve done better in tighter games. We’ve won loads of 1-0s and 2-1s. When you add those up at the end of the season it means many points,” Solskjaer told reporters.

“That was a point we spoke about early on before the season had started, that we needed to stop getting draws and win more games. We’ve shown great improvement in mentality as well as physical robustness.”