5 times Cristiano Ronaldo let Real Madrid down in 2017

Wait. Are you telling me they don’t have capes, can’t fly and don’t fight bad guys?

Messi and Ronaldo have performed so many wonders on the football pitch and thrilled us for so many years, sometimes it is hard to believe they are not some fictional superheroes we find in our comic books. The numbers they rack up would be impressive in Sunday street football, let alone professional association football. The expectations on them can be so dizzying; they create headlines for 2 match goal droughts unlike the 5 match goal droughts for a normal player.

With such lofty expectations comes a caveat - it is easier for Cristiano Ronaldo to let us down than it is for most other players. He may have won 5 trophies, the UEFA Player of the Year, the Ballon d’Or and scored 50+ goals in 2017; yet here I am writing an article about the ways he let Real Madrid down in 2017.

Here are 5 times Cristiano Ronaldo let Real Madrid down in 2017:

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#1 Tax saga

Ronaldo was defiant in his response to tax fraud allegations

During 2017-18 preseason, Ronaldo was accused of ceding his image rights to a company in the British Virgin Islands so as to avoid paying tax on them in Spain. Ronaldo’s management company Gestifute insisted he had acted in accordance with British and Spanish tax laws, and Ronaldo provided testimony at court that he had complete trust in his advisers.

The charges were never proven – Ronaldo, for all we know, could be completely innocent. Yet the whole saga was an administrative nightmare for Real Madrid. His camp did not make it easier by leaking rumours of him wanting to leave Spain. The annual “Manchester United return” drama was repeated, PSG and China were also mentioned and Zidane had to fend off questions about Ronaldo’s future in each press conference.

He may have been innocent of fraud – but the saga itself could have been handled much better.

#2 El Clasico in August

Ronaldo earned himself an additional 4 match ban for pushing the referee

In the first leg of Spanish Super Cup 2017, the scores were level at 1-1 when Ronaldo came on from the bench and curled a stunner past Marc-Andre ter Stegen to give Real Madrid the lead. Real would go on to win the match 1-3; but despite his match-winning contribution, Ronaldo ended the night as the villain.

In the 82nd minute, the referee penalized Ronaldo with a yellow card for diving. Having taken off his shirt while celebrating his goal a minute ago, this meant Ronaldo was sent off. The decision was really harsh, yet the subsequent damage would have been minimal – that is, before Ronaldo pushed the referee in frustration and earned himself an additional 4 match ban.

Ronaldo missed Real Madrid’s opening 4 La Liga Matches. In his absence, Real Madrid were held to costly draws at home against Valencia and Levante. Their season got off to a shaky start – and in hindsight, one feels they never quite recovered from it.

#3 Performance against Real Betis in September

Ronaldo had a night to forget against Real Betis

And then he made his much-awaited return from suspension. In September against Real Betis.

Madrid lost 1-0 at home.

Cristiano had a night to forget. He attempted 12 shots in the game without scoring – the highest number of efforts from one player not to yield a goal in La Liga since Ronaldo himself struggled against Malaga 2 years ago. 2 of the misses were particularly glaring, with Ronaldo likely to have caused more trouble to Madrid traffic than Antonio Adan’s goal.

When he is in a frustrated mood, Ronaldo can affect the gameplay of the entire team. And for a coach, the worst thing about such nights is you can’t sub him off as you would do a normal player because – well, because he is Ronaldo.

#4 Comment about squad

Ronaldo feels departures of Morata and James Rodriguez have weakened the squad

Speaking in the aftermath of Real Madrid’s Champions League defeat against Tottenham, Ronaldo was visibly annoyed. “Pepe, Alvaro Morata, and James Rodriguez made us stronger but those in the squad today are younger. It is not a worse squad but it has less experience and that is very important.”

It was left to Sergio Ramos to try and limit the damage done to a squad that already lacked morale. “I don’t agree with him that the squad is weaker, it seems to be an opportunistic opinion. Nobody thought that when we won the Super Cups. The squad has changed, but some players contribute some things and others contribute other things.”

Ronaldo’s disappointment with Real’s questionable transfer activity is understandable – the recklessness he exhibited in talking with the press is not. Talk of a fallout between Ramos and Ronaldo started doing the rounds, and the last thing you need when you are trailing Barcelona in the title race is a disjointed dressing room.

#5 Contract haggles

Ronaldo's contract haggles have become a customary feature of every Real Madrid season

In November 2016, Ronaldo signed a new deal with Real Madrid till June 2021. “I carry this club in my heart, it is part of me and it is a special time in my life,” said Ronaldo. “I want to continue rewriting history at this club.”

Yet as we know, contracts signed by players like Messi, Ronaldo, and Neymar tend to be simply glorified salary hike agreements. The length of the contract tends to mean little.

Sure enough, the rumours of him wanting out started as early as preseason, as a response to accusations of tax fraud. Later, Perez’s ill-advised praise of Neymar seemingly caused a new tantrum, with reports suggesting Ronaldo asked his lawyers to negotiate with Real Madrid to lower his 1 billion euros release clause. Ronaldo’s typical cryptic comments don’t help squash such rumours either. “I don’t want to renew. I am happy as I am.”

Ronaldo’s contract haggles have become a customary feature of every Real Madrid season – perhaps that’s the price you need to pay to have the 5 time Ballon d'Or winner in your team.