Cristiano Ronaldo Hits out at Media, Discusses Raul Record, Real Madrid Future

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has hit out at the media, insisting the kind of questions he gets discourage him from speaking to the press more often.

The Portuguese made the rare decision to converse with the media in the wake of his brace for Real in a 2-0 win over Malmo in the Champions League on Wednesday, stating the club never encourages him to address the press if he doesn't want to.

“It was my decision not to talk during this time,” said Ronaldo of his recent silence, per Marca. “Nobody makes me talk, and neither do Real Madrid. They never pressure me into talking and I only speak when I need to. When I don't speak it's because something isn't right.”

Ronaldo was then asked about the incident involving Kevin Roldan and gave a blunt response, per Marca:

"

Do you know why I don't speak more often? It's because the questions aren't that good. That's why I don't speak. What does that have to do with the game? I'm talking about what happened today, not something that happened five months ago. Maybe that's why I don't speak very often.

"

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Roldan performed at Ronaldo’s birthday party hours after Los Blancos had lost 4-0 to Atletico Madrid in February, sparking outrage from Madridistas. Barcelona star Gerard Pique famously made reference to the rapper during Barcelona’s treble celebrations at the end of last season, proclaiming, “Thanks to all, and thanks to Kevin Roldan: It all started with you.”

But Ronaldo’s boisterous response was at odds with what was a landmark night in his career. Not only did he surpass 500 goals for club and country, according to Real Madrid’s official website, he scored his 324th goal in the iconic all-white kit, surpassing Raul as the club’s all-time top scorer. Other outlets, such as the Guardian, reported he is now level with the Blancos icon.

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“I'm really happy and pleased,” said Ronaldo afterward, per Marca. “It wasn't something I set out to do when I joined Real Madrid, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to beat the record. Raul sent me a message saying that he hoped I scored many more and I know that he meant it.”

It’s a remarkable achievement for Ronaldo regardless of whether it’s 324 or 323 goals he has scored. As we can see here, courtesy of B/R UK, the Portuguese star has totted up his numbers in considerably fewer games than the former sole record holder:

Ronaldo did cast some doubts about just how many more he may score for Real Madrid, though, as he denied the chance to emphatically commit his future to the club. “I want to win more silverware and I feel great,” said Ronaldo, per Marca. “But as I've said millions of times before, you never know what the future holds.”

There has been talk of Ronaldo moving on recently, with Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United linked with a whopping £90 million bid next summer. The owner of Orlando City, Flavio Augusto da Silva, also revealed he would like to bring the forward to Major League Soccer next season too.

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But current Blancos boss Rafa Benitez is banking on Ronaldo staying at the Santiago Bernabeu for some time yet and finding many more goals in the process. “I think I already said he was irreplaceable for us and he's proved that again,” said the manager, per Marca, before highlighting the “merit” of reaching such a staggering total in so little time.

Ronaldo did seem pretty pleased with himself in the aftermath too, per BT Sport:

Whether or not he does stay at the club for many more years to come or does decide to leave next summer, the 30-year-old is a player who has forever etched his name into the rich annals of Real Madrid. He may not have won quite as much as Raul, but in an era that has been widely dominated by Madrid’s great rivals Barcelona, his goals have enabled Los Blancos to keep pace.

Whenever he does speak to the media, Ronaldo seems amicable, entertaining and has plenty of refreshing insights, so it’s a shame we don’t hear from him more often. But such is the hyperbole that accompanies his every touch of a football, it’s understandable he keeps his press briefings to a minimum.