“The thrill of beating Cristiano Ronaldo? Beautiful, because I know him and I know he doesn’t like losing,” he said in an Instagram story.

“Seeing him angry was quite nice, even if we talked after the game.”

Hellas have had a strong season and sit eighth in the Italian top-flight having played 25 games before the coronavirus pandemic brought a halt to football across the world.

And Veloso hopes the campaign gets underway again as he looks for his side to improve even further.

“This is my best season, but it is not only thanks to me, but also to all my team-mates. It’s not just Miguel or Pazzini, we are a team. If the team does well, individual quality comes out,” he said.

“I thank the staff and my team-mates, who have contributed to having a good season so far. At the beginning of the year I wanted to give my best, I hope to be able to finish the season because what we are doing is really beautiful. 

“I’m doing very well in Verona. I did not expect to settle in so well, on a football and environmental level. I live in the centre of town, I almost never need a car, I can walk peacefully with my family.

“I arrived at a newly-promoted team where many players and the coaching staff were changing. It was not easy to do well from the start but we followed our coach.

“My only thought was to return to a great level and Verona was the right choice. 

“Luca Toni had told me about the warmth of the fans, I heard the roar after my first goal against Bologna and it was beautiful.”

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