Ronaldo’s sister hits back

Cristiano Ronaldo’s sister Katia Aveiro hit back at Virgil van Dijk on Instagram after the defender joked that the Juventus forward wasn’t a “rival” for this year’s Ballon d’Or. Barcelona star Lionel Messi claimed the coveted individual award for a sixth time in Paris on Monday, with Liverpool centre-back Van Dijk finishing second in the final voting. When asked if Ronaldo’s failure to show up meant that he had one less rival to compete with for the accolade, Van Dijk responded: “Was he a rival then?” Ronaldo’s sister Aveiro took to Instagram to vent her fury over Van Dijk’s comments, expressing her belief that the Liverpool talisman is not in the same league as her brother. “Now, dear Virgil, where you are going, Cristiano Ronaldo has gone and has come [back] a thousand times,” she began. “You see, my dear Virgil, that Cristiano Ronaldo was a three-times champion in the country where you have been playing for years and you still haven’t got your hands on the trophy.”                          –Agencies