Cristiano Ronaldo Talks Real Madrid Managerial Changes, Rafa Benitez and More

Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has called on the club to put a halt to their managerial merry-go-round, stating players need time to get used to a new boss.

Speaking to ESPN's SportsCenter this week, Los Blancos' talisman professed that both players and coaches alike need time to settle with one another before seeing results (h/t Spanish newspaper AS):

"

I don’t like the way the club buys and sells players every year, the squad needs time to work and grow together and it takes time to get to know the coach. This is a key way for personal and collective improvement.

[...]

I try and get the best from every coach. Not just Alex Ferguson, but also [Manuel] Pellegrini, [Jose] Mourinho, [Carlo] Ancelotti, and now with [Rafa] Benitez. The all have a unique style with different opinions. I’m the player I am as each coach has helped me in his own way.

"

Incumbent manager Rafa Benitez is the fourth boss Ronaldo has worked under since moving to Spain's capital from Manchester United in 2009, following Manuel Pellegrini, Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti.

Real failed to win a trophy last season under Ancelotti, but Ronaldo spoke positively of the Italian, noting he was a more humble figure than expected: "I initially [thought] that he was going to be an arrogant person but he was the total opposite.”

There is immense pressure at the Bernabeu to deliver major trophies on an annual basis, and Ancelotti was swiftly shown the exit after failing to win a title last season, despite clinching the club's 10th European cup success just a year previous.

With Real Madrid currently fourth in La Liga and four points behind Barcelona following a 4-0 home defeat in El Clasico last month, the pressure on Benitez's shoulders is steadily increasing, per Goal's Ben Hayward:

Tales Azzoni of the Associated Press provided quotes from Ronaldo after Tuesday's 8-0 throttling of Malmo in the Champions League, where he told the club to persevere with their current leader.

The forward said: "He is doing a good job, still adapting to Real Madrid. You need to give him time. I think he is doing things the right way. I have a good relationship with him, as do all other players."

GERARD JULIEN/Getty Images

It's true that managerial changes as a knee-jerk response to disappointment are more commonplace in the modern game, with owners and board members more demanding than ever regarding results and speed of progress.

At the start of the 2015-16 season, Spanish football writer Sergi Dominguez insisted stability should be a top priority for Los Merengues, just like Barcelona stuck with Luis Enrique at the start of last season's treble campaign despite early setbacks:

The time required to properly establish a long-term legacy among football's elite can be underestimated by those in power, and Ronaldo's comments suggest faith, not change, is the key to success.

Benitez has so far retained the loyalty of Real's board despite his shortcomings, but Ronaldo may again see the winds of change bluster through the Bernabeu should they endure another trophy-less season.