It’s a stark contrast between two former teammates, who won everything together at Real Madrid, but who have since taken very different paths. Last Monday, Karim Benzema lifted his first Ballon d’Or at the end of an exceptional season with the Madrid club, while Cristiano Ronaldo languishes since the start of the season on the Manchester United substitute bench. A situation that seems to weigh heavily on the shoulders of the Portuguese, who no longer supports the treatment of his coach towards him.
Left on the bench for the whole game last Wednesday against Tottenham, Cristiano Ronaldo decided to return to the locker room when the game was not yet over. A very strong way to express his dissatisfaction and a real lack of respect according to the leaders of Manchester United, who are considering sanctions against him. Dismissed from the group for the moment, the 37-year-old seems to be in a very bad position and if he had not spoken so far, he has just done so. On his Instagram account, the most followed man in the world with more than 490 million subscribers, published a long message to explain the situation he is going through. “As I have always done throughout my career, I try to live and play respectfully with my colleagues, my opponents and my coaches. That has not changed. I did not change. I am the same person and the same professional that I have been for the past 20 years”he wrote.
I’ve always tried to set an example myself to young people
Visibly affected by the current situation with his club, the one who is often presented as a workaholic and an exemplary player explains his vision of things. “I have always tried to set an example myself for the youngsters who have grown up in all the teams I have represented. Unfortunately, this is not always possible and sometimes the tension of the moment takes over.”, he lets go, without giving more details on the reasons for his crack. Despite this very delicate period, the companion of Georgina Rodriguez concludes with a message of hope which should please his fans: “Right now I just feel like I have to keep working hard at Carrington (Manchester United’s training center, editor’s note) supporting my team-mates and being ready for anything in any game. Yielding to pressure is not an option. It never was.”