"He hasn’t dribbled past anyone in the last three years" - When former Real Madrid manager slammed Cristiano Ronaldo

Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was once criticized by former Real Madrid boss Fabio Capello during his stint with Juventus.

In a clash against AC Milan back in 2019, the Portuguese icon was subbed off early in the game. Instead of waiting on the bench, he walked straight into the tunnel, expressing his frustration. Speaking to Sky Sports Italia, Capello said:

"[Cristiano] is a great champion, nobody argues with that but he hasn’t dribbled past anyone in the last three years. At the moment, he isn’t at his best and it is normal to replace him. Sarri [Maurizio] doesn’t need to be brave or show his personality to make that change. It’s not nice that he didn’t sit on the bench [after being taken off] and argued with Sarri.

“One has to be a champion even when he is replaced, not only when things are going well. He must respect his teammates,” he added.

The Bianconeri ended up winning the game 1-0 but Ronaldo did not stay around to see the game out after being taken off in the 54th minute. Paulo Dybala scored the only goal of the game in the 77th minute, handing Maurizio Sarri's side all three points.

Capello began his journey in the sport as a player in the 60s, featuring for Roma, Juventus and AC Milan. He eventually hung up his boots and became a manager, taking charge at all three of his previous clubs in various stints. He also served as Real Madrid manager twice, once from 1996-1997 and from 2006-2007.

Former Barcelona player makes interesting claim about Cristiano Ronaldo and Jude Bellingham at Real Madrid

La Liga pundit Andrea Orlandi has suggested that Jude Bellingham has adjusted to La Liga quicker than Cristiano Ronaldo. Speaking to the Daily Star, he suggested that the midfielder's mindset has been pivotal in his strong start and said:

"Yes, he [Ronaldo] did score quite a lot of goals when he joined the club, but you could see that wasn’t the real him up until a couple of months. With Bellingham, it was from pre-season, his first game I think he scored. And then in La Liga, it was the same."

"I knew he’d be very good but I thought in three or four years. He comes here and just destroys the league really and decides to be the best player. And in a club where Vinicius is there, Rodrygo, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, he’s gone ‘I’m the best’."

Since arriving from Borussia Dortmund for a reported fee of €103 million, Bellingham has hit the ground running with Los Blancos. He is the club's top scorer this campaign, with 20 goals and nine assists in 31 appearances.

The Englishman's performances have drawn comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo, who arrived in a big-money move from Manchester United in 2009. The Portuguese superstar had 33 goals and 10 assists in 35 games in his first campaign with the Spanish giants.