Cristiano Ronaldo Is 'Too Boring,' Says Ex-Real Madrid Star Rafael van der Vaart

Former Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has said he could never be friends with Cristiano Ronaldo because the Portuguese international is “too boring.”

The two players spent time together at the Santiago Bernabeu during the 2009-10 season, Ronaldo’s first at Real Madrid. And while the Dutchman said on NOS (h/t Sport) that he was a huge fan of the Los Blancos talisman as a player, he wasn’t too keen as a person.

“I don't think we could be friends, because Cristiano is too boring,” he said. “He's a great professional. He's the first out on the training pitch and the last to leave. That's why he's had such a great career.”

AFP/Getty Images

While Van der Vaart departed Real at the end of that campaign to join Tottenham Hotspur, Ronaldo went on to achieve great things with the club. The 31-year-old recently won his second UEFA Champions League title with Los Blancos and became the club’s all-time leading goalscorer.

Ronaldo’s on-field outbursts and unabashed cockiness mean that he’s not every football fan’s cup of tea. Indeed, plenty have revelled in his struggles at the 2016 UEFA European Championship, prompting Paul Hayward of the Telegraph to comment on his perception:

The player’s agent, Jorge Mendes, unsurprisingly disagreed with Van der Vaart’s assessment. “Cristiano is the best athlete in the world and of all time," he told O Jogo (h/t Goal). “And if there were a prize to distinguish the best person, he would also win it because he's a great father and friend.”

Van der Vaart is currently at Real Betis, and despite possessing natural talent comparable to Ronaldo's, he will look back on a playing career in which he failed to reach his potential. The Portuguese, boring or not, will be remembered as one of the game’s all-time greats.