Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has leapt to the defence of Cristiano Ronaldo after he appeared to be jeered by sections of the Bernabeu during their victory over Roma.
Ronaldo has become a divisive figure in recent weeks following his controversial statements in the wake of the derby loss to Atletico Madrid, which saw him suggest that other players at the club were to blame for the team’s disappointing season.Ser
Although Ronaldo, the club’s all-time leading scorer, later claimed that he was referring to the injury problems which have deprived the team of several key players throughout the campaign, his comments were received by some fans as a sign of egoistism.
And there seemed to be isolated outbreaks of booing in the direction of the 30-year-old on Tuesday, although they were brief in duration and could well have largely originated from the sizeable contingent of Roma fans in the crowd.
Ronaldo certainly had the right answer for his critics, netting the opening goal on the night – taking his tally in this season’s competition to 13 goals in just eight games – and later teeing up James Rodriguez to complete the scoring.
Coming just a few days after Ronaldo had blasted four goals in a 7-1 La Liga thrashing of Celta Vigo, not to mention more than 350 during his seven years at the club, it is somewhat bizarre that his contribution to the team’s cause should even be questioned.
Yet Ramos felt obliged to speak out in support of Ronaldo, blasting the forward’s critics as he said: “I would tell the fans to think a little first. I respect them but when things don’t go well they should support their players, because we all want the best for Real Madrid.
“Cristiano is a historic player for Real Madrid, and he keeps proving that year after year – look at what he’s achieved.”
Ramos did, however, also partly excuse the fans by claiming their well-worn cat-calls towards their own players serve as a motivational tool.
Very few players have escaped the wrath of the notoriously demanding Bernabeu fans over the last few decades, with James another who has occasionally been jeered in recent weeks.
Ramos added: “When the fans at the Bernabeu boo you, it is because they want to communicate their demands to you. They want to push us and see the best performance from us.”
