Cristiano Ronaldo Criticised by Real Madrid Legend Santillana Ahead of Clasico

Former Real Madrid striker Santillana has criticised Cristiano Ronaldo, saying he must "put a lid on his shows of arrogance" ahead of the Clasico fixture with Barcelona.

Los Blancos travel to the Camp Nou one point behind their rivals. Lionel Messi continues to inspire with some formidable attacking displays, but Ronaldo's form has come under close inspection since he was handed the 2014 Ballon d'Or.

He hasn't scored in his last two La Liga matches and appeared frustrated when Gareth Bale mopped up his opportunities against Levante. The Welshman scored a rebound from Ronaldo's shot and deflected another of his Portuguese team-mate's attempts in. Ronaldo was seen to react in frustration, something Santillana doesn't agree with.

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"As a fan, I don't like to see Cristiano Ronaldo like that, but that's the way he is," said the 62-year-old, reported by X. Hernandez of Marca. "He should still put a lid on his shows of arrogance, though."

The moment in question was tweeted by Ed Malyon of the Mirror:

Former Barca striker Gary Lineker reacted to Ronaldo's apparent strop:

In the aftermath of the Levante win, Ronaldo was also accused of telling Madrid supporters to "f--k off" after receiving jeers following a missed chance. El Chiringuito posted a video which allegedly shows Ronaldo saying "fodase," which "roughly translates" to the aforementioned slur, according to Sport.

All of this has happened since Ronaldo vowed to take a stand of silence until the end of the season, per Pete Jenson of the Daily Mail. The 30-year-old and his team-mates were booed off the pitch after losing 4-3 to Schalke during the Champions League round-of-16 second leg on Mar. 10.

"I won't talk to the press again until the end of the season," said Ronaldo, per Sky Sports.

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Perception of Ronaldo's ego and arrogance has often been debated throughout his career. This happens to most world-class stars who lead teams with their goalscoring prowess, particularly when things go wrong and frustration sets in.

In 2012, CNN writer Pedro Pinto reported comments from Ronaldo, in which he suggested his alleged arrogance has made him struggle to receive the global recognition of Messi:

"

I don't want to cry about it, but sometimes I think yes (it has cost him global support). It's a question to which I never give the 100 percent right answer, because sometimes I really don't know. I don't think it's allowed for people to change my personality. Maybe sometimes, I agree that I have a bad image on the pitch because I'm too serious.

"

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Santillana admits he can't pick a favourite for the upcoming Clasico, despite Real winning just one of their last three domestic fixtures, per Hernandez.

One of Ronaldo's most famous showings of cockiness came at the Camp Nou, when he initiated a "calm down" celebration after scoring the winner in 2012. While Madrid fans may be frustrated with his so-called arrogance, many would love to see a repeat of such a moment when Sunday's match arrives.