Cristiano Ronaldo Opens Up on Gareth Bale Fallout, Targets Lionel Messi Record
Cristiano Ronaldo has played down reports suggesting he is frustrated with Real Madrid team-mate Gareth Bale, saying the Welsh winger is a "very important player" for the European champions.
Despite audible jeers from Madrid fans when Bale failed to square the ball to the Portuguese star—who was moving in on an open goal during Saturday's win over Espanyol—CR7 believes Bale will be a key individual this season, as reported by Luke Augustus of MailOnline.
"Madrid fans are always the same. They are very intense, they show what they feel, they're not liars," said Ronaldo. "But I think things with Gaz will be normal because they know that Gaz is a very important player for us, a key player."
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Ronaldo is looking to move beyond the Espanyol situation—in which he was heard to curse when Bale failed to pass—noted by Augustus:
"What's happened on Saturday is in the past. Sometimes I commit some mistakes too, so it's part of the business, it is part of football so I think fans will be nice to him and they should be nice to him. He's a key player, very important for Real Madrid and we're going to need him this year again.
"
Further comments from Ronaldo were also posted by 101 Great Goals:
The former Manchester United man spoke after picking up his second consecutive Ballon d'Or award, his third overall. He now wishes to catch Lionel Messi, who has received one more accolade, with players such as Bale likely to be vital to this success.
"This is an unforgettable moment," said Ronaldo, per Marca. "I'm not going to stop here. I want to catch Messi."
Bale made an initial mistake during Madrid's defeat to Valencia. He failed to pass to Ronaldo or Karim Benzema at an important moment in the match, which Carlo Ancelotti's men eventually lost 2-1. This decision could have impacted the result and maintained Los Blancos' winning run.
Outsiders will likely be flummoxed by jeering of Bale, however. It's petty to continually criticise a player who was responsible for winning last season's Copa del Rey through his incisive pace and opportunism.
Ronaldo's assertion that Madrid fans "are always the same" would likely be criticised if it came from anyone else. The Bernabeu dealt goalkeeper Iker Casillas the same jeering treatment last season despite the Spaniard's long and successful association with the club.
Casillas also flitted around supporters, saying, "If they think they should whistle, you have to respect their opinions," per BBC Sport. Although Bale is yet to publicly respond, Isco recently fought his corner.
"At the end of the day, players make decisions for themselves," said the creative midfielder, reported by Football Espana (h/t Eurosport). "Bale didn't see Cristiano. In the next game, he'll get another chance. He decided to shoot and missed, but these things happen in football."
Ancelotti believes Bale's quality makes him more susceptible to harsh judgement, per Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC:
Bale has scored 31 goals and provided 20 assists in a combined total of 58 La Liga and Champions League appearances since joining Madrid, per WhoScored.com. He averages just under one telling contribution each match, numbers only Ronaldo is capable of overcoming in the Spanish capital.
It's perhaps telling that the Portuguese star placed Bale second on his 2014 Ballon d'Or voting list despite reported frustrations with playing alongside him, as reported by FIFA.
Few players have emulated Bale's impact across the world over the last year, so vocal frustration from the Madrid fans is perhaps a case of self-entitlement that will make others chuckle.
Bale is likely to continue playing a major role for the current La Liga leaders, and when the season is complete, it wouldn't be a surprise to see his contribution once again rank among Madrid's most impressive.
