Cristiano Ronaldo was subjected to jeers and whistles when the 31-year-old prolific goalscorer failed to convert a golden opportunity in Real Madrid’s 2-1 win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday. The Portuguese forward had 11 shots during the match but was unable to increase his tally of two goals in his last six La Liga appearances for Los Blancos.
Florentino Perez hails Cristiano Ronaldo
The three-time Ballon D’Or winner seems to be out-of-form at the moment but both the Club President, Florentino Perez and his teammates have come out in full support of the Real Madrid top-scorer.
"He's one of the great legends of Real Madrid and one of the greatest in the history of football: Cristiano Ronaldo. He was again the top scorer in the Champions League with 16 goals, after collecting his fourth Golden Boot last season, becoming the only player in the world who has won four Golden Boots,” Perez stated.
“In addition, Cristiano is already the top scorer in the history of Real Madrid with a record that will be very hard to beat. Cristiano Ronaldo is a legend of Real Madrid and a legend of football," he went on to add.
Real Madrid players commend the Portuguese forward
Alvaro Morata, whose winning goal secured the three points for Real Madrid came out in defence of Cristiano Ronaldo and while speaking to the club’s official website, he was quoted as saying, "When you're used to scoring almost 70 goals a season, it's almost like an addiction for goals. For us, he is the most important player in the team and I hope that he scores lots of goals, but he is not a machine. He is a human being, even if he comes from another planet and is different, he also has the right to miss.”
According to beIN Sport, Marcelo was quoted saying that Cristiano Ronaldo's presence on the field was a very important factor. "Of course he wants to score, that is normal for a goal scorer. But he is a player who helps the team a lot. Not only with goals, but also with his work on the pitch,” the Brazilian said.
Gareth Bale backs Ronaldo
Gareth Bale, who was instrumental throughout the game and assisted the winning goal for Real Madrid, also came out in support of his teammate.
"The important thing is that the team wins and we are top of the league, not who scores the goal. Cristiano works hard to keep scoring goals, but the important thing is the team and I'm sure he's happy to be top," Bale told Real Madrid's official website.
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