What’s the story?
Former Real Madrid star, Angel di Maria, has come out to defend his former team-mate and Portugal captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming that the criticism the reigning Ballon d’Or winner gets is difficult for him to understand.
After a terrific 2016, the former Sporting starlet has had to endure a tough start to 2017 and was heavily blamed for Real Madrid’s decline in form that coincided with their elimination in the Copa Del Rey at the hands of Celta Vigo.
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The Paris-Saint German wizard is of the opinion that the criticism he gets is largely exaggerated. "It [the criticism] is exaggerated. He has given so much to Madrid, as others have. He has won two Champions Leagues and people forget that a bit, they always want more,” said Di Maria in an interview with Marca.
The Argentine World Cup runner-up also went on to claim that Lionel Messi, too, faces the same problem of being criticised for not scoring enough, but then one good match changes it all and the goals start to flow. This is why the Argentine opined that he can’t fathom the harsh words that Messi and Cristiano have to face despite breaking records by the handful.
In case you didn’t know…
This is one of the very few times when the number of goals that the Portuguese superstar has scored (21 thus far) is lesser than the number of games that he has played (26) in all competitions. And with that, there is a general believe that the former Manchester United man might be at the beginning of the unavoidable decline that every player reaches at the end of his career.
The heart of the matter
Some of the biggest critics of Cristiano Ronaldo is the Real Madrid fanbase itself. The former Benfica talent then went on reveal the extent of expectation that the Bernabeu crowd have from their players.
Being a former victim of the jeers and whistles of Madridistas himself, Di Maria stated that the mental strength of the players play a huge role in determining the reaction they give, citing Karim Benzema as someone whose incredible mental strength allows him to stay calm despite being booed.
What’s next?
Right now, with a goal against Osasuna, the critics are quiet. However, they will be back again if the Portuguese slows down again, and that is the last thing Madrid would want at this time of the season.
Sportskeeda’s take…
The fact that Cristiano Ronaldo gets criticised despite already scoring 21 goals in all competitions just goes to show the standard he has set for himself and the condemnation of him sometimes borders on unnecessary.
