“This is the best group I’ve ever played with. At Juventus we really feel like a team, unlike elsewhere – some players feel like they are better than others. Here everyone is humble, if Dybala or Mandzukic don’t score you see still see them happy. That is beautiful.” – Cristiano Ronaldo
Shocked? Surprised? I don’t believe those are the words felt by most Real Madrid fans when Cristiano Ronaldo said those words during his interview. Maybe the best word to use is “hurt”. Hurt by the fact that one of our legends made those comments, hurt by the timing of the comments and hurt by the fact that many of us still utter his name at least once a day.
This is not me saying that he doesn’t have the right to feel that way, of course, he does. I simply do not see why he needs to say that knowing that he has a family at the Santiago Bernabeu who still worship his every word. When he left Manchester United, he never had anything negative to say about them and even if he did, he always kept it quiet. Why is that different when it comes to Real Madrid? The only reason that I can possibly come up with is the way he left the clubs. Back in England, he chose to leave Manchester United while he feels as though he was pushed out with Real Madrid after not feeling as important by Florentino Perez anymore. If that’s true, then why not aim your frustration at the cause of the trouble? Why slander the full team when your problem is obviously with Perez? The team loved him and he was happy, you cannot deny that. Now though, there is a bittersweet feeling between those at Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo.
What he’s saying could very well be true but it’s a little peculiar coming from him when many of us have heard the rumors that he was the one wanting to take all the glory at times while he was in Spain. Needless to say, I don’t believe it’s true but it’s definitely something worth mentioning at this moment.
What’s also worth noting is that he was accepted and appreciated at Juventus. When he moved there, it was undoubtedly the signing of the summer and he was accepted as a king there from the moment the transfer was still a ‘rumour’ until it materialized and even today they treat him like one of their own. You can’t blame them, of course.
They added a legend, a player with an extraordinary winning mentality, and someone who can guarantee them success all in one. He felt appreciated again, he felt wanted and that is something that we all know Cristiano Ronaldo craves.
Having said that, it doesn’t mean that he has the right to go around making the comments he made. It looks like more of a dig at his previous club rather than a sentence of appreciation for his current home.
After what Real Madrid has given him, I personally find it quite laughable that he speaks of humbleness while slandering them. Even though his words hurt, they also bring out anger and frustration. In all fairness, Cristiano Ronaldo has never really been humble when it came to football but that is what made him the best player in the world. That still does not give him the right to bite the hand that once fed him, words he used after his move to Turin.
With everything said and done, the best way to move forward is to understand that Cristiano Ronaldo will never really consider the Santiago Bernabeu as his home like he did with Old Trafford. Once that is understood, we can be the bigger people in this and take what he says with a pinch of salt while not letting it affect us.
Just like he has moved on, we should too. Does that mean we forget all his contributions to the club? Of course not, his name is officially etched in our history books but just like we have succeeded before him, we will succeed again after him.
All we can do is continue to thank him for what he has given us and wish him the best in his future. That will be the only way to move forward without letting his comments hurt us as much anymore.