As Rafael Benitez takes over the reins at Real Madrid, reports suggest that the new manager has failed to win over Cristiano Ronaldo with the Ballon Da Or winner left fuming on more than one occasion. The player has expressed his ridicule at Beniteza s tactics on the training pitch while storming off practice sessions after claiming that the a Portuguesea were targeted against by the new manager.
So why is Cristiano Ronaldo furious with Rafael Benitez?
Building A Real Madrid Around Gareth Bale
It is no secret that Florentino Perez looks at Gareth Bale as his a favouritea signing and the President went so far as to claim that he sacked Carlo Ancelotti because he substituted the Welshman during a La Liga fixture. It is therefore not surprising to see Rafael Benitez build a his Real Madrida around the Bale after taking over the reins from the Italian.
However, this seems to have not gone down well with Cristiano Ronaldo who is used to being the focus of the team at Real Madrid. The Portuguese superstar has been Madrida s most prolific goal-scorer with the team built around him in order to maximize his strengths on the pitch.
Hence . upstaged by Gareth Bale, it is understandable why Cristiano Ronaldo is fuming after being left in the Welshmana s shadow by Rafael Benitez.
Ronaldo Is A Key Player For Us, So Is Gareth Bale
Speaking at a press conference, Rafael Benitez claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo was a key player for Real Madrid, just like Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and James Rodriguez.
“Ronaldo, Bale, all of them a they are so good. For me it’s not a problem. James (Rodriguez), Isco, (Karim) Benzema, Ronaldo or Bale, we have an option with all of them.
“Ronaldo is a key player for us, Gareth will be a key player for us. But the same will be Benzema, James, Isco, (Toni) Kroos, (Luka) Modric.a
Though one might argue in Beniteza s favour by claiming that the manager was not giving the Portuguese special attention to maintain the harmony of the dressing room, the fact remains that Cristiano Ronaldo is used to being given special attention at the club. The official word from the Real Madrid camp has always been to back Ronaldo over Lionel Messi as the best player in the world.
Hence Rafael Beniteza s comments could be regarded as a demotion for Ronaldo, a sign that he was losing his influence in the Real Madrid dressing room. In fact, Beniteza s comments on Ronaldo did not go unnoticed as the manager had to backtrack on his comments later on while ceding ground to the Portuguese superstar.
Asked to reiterate his stance on Cristiano Ronaldo, the manager emphatically backed him as the best player in the world while stating that he did not share a strained relationship with the Portuguese international.
a Fortunately after working with him you can see how competitive he is and how keen he is to win. He has great quality and thata s what makes him the best player in the world. I wish all the players had the same enthusiasm to compete and win. He shows this on a day by day basis and Ia m delighted with him.a
a My relationship with him is the same as the rest of the players. I speak to them all. There are those who are speculating on this or that but I can assure you that the relationship is totally normal.a
Also Read: a I Respect Van Gaal But Sergio Ramos Is Staying With Usa : Rafael Benitez
When quizzed as to why he changed his stance on the question, the manager claimed that working with Ronaldo over the past week helped him appreciate the wingera s potential and abilities.
a Seeing Cristiano close-up and watching him work, you can appreciate why he has won so many trophies. Clearly he is the best in the world.a
Throwing A Tantrum?
To make matters worse, Cristiano Ronaldo has made quite a few headlines after throwing a series of tantrums during the practice sessions under Rafael Beniteza s watch. The Portuguese international walked away from a session after being pulled up by Benitez and went so far as to suggest that only the a Portuguesea were targeted against by the manager.
Ronaldo was also reported to ridicule Beniteza s training exercise where he asked his players to participate in the cross-bar challenge.
a Ita s meant to be the ball in there, in the net. Not this shite.a
However Benitez played down reports suggesting that there was a rift between the new manager and the Real Madrid superstar. Quizzed on the video of a visibly annoyed Cristiano Ronaldo walking away from a training exercise, Benitez deflected the question by suggesting that Ronaldo was a a competitivea player and hence reacted accordingly to unfavourable situations.
a He is a competitive guy and thata s the key. This is a positive thing not a defect.a
While Florentino Perez might be keen on having Gareth Bale as the centre piece of his a collectiona at Real Madrid, the President cannot afford to alienate Cristiano Ronaldo following an unsuccessful season under Carlo Ancelotti. The Portuguese international remains integral to Real Madrida s success and reports from Spain suggest that Florentino Perez will soon hold talks with the winger in order to placate him regarding his position at the club.