Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois says it is time for Gareth Bale and the club’s other attackers to step up in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The striker’s departure for Juventus in the summer left a gaping hole in the Madrid squad, who have subsequently struggled for goals this season.
At the moment, Bale and Karim Benzema are joint-top scorers for the club with 10 strikes apiece this season, though both are struggling to match Ronaldo’s goal output.
Speaking to reporters after Madrid’s triumph in the FIFA Club World Cup in the UAE, where they beat Al Ain 4-1 in Abu Dhabi to win the title for the third straight year, the Belgian goalkeeper said it’s time for the club to move on from their legendary goalscorer.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is irreplaceable, you cannot forget what he did,” Courtois said.
“But he is not here anymore, so it’s time for other players, like Bale did in the semi-finals [of the Club World Cup], to score the goals he [Ronaldo] used to score.
“If we are able to do so, it’ll be fine.”
