"It's another lie" - Former Real Madrid manager lifts lid on Cristiano Ronaldo claim

Rafael Benitez has lifted the lid on claims that he allegedly preferred Gareth Bale over Cristiano Ronaldo during his time as Real Madrid's manager.

The Spanish tactician took over the managerial helm at the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2015 to replace Carlo Ancelotti. Despite winning 17 out of his 25 games in charge across competitions, he was sacked in January 2016.

He had apparently become unpopular with supporters and failed to galvanize a dressing room filled with superstars such as Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo. Benitez was recently asked on Cadena SER if it was true that he preferred the Wales international over the latter.

The former Liverpool and Chelsea manager vehemently replied (h/t Manchester Evening News):

"It's another lie. He [Bale] plays with Wales, he catches me next door when I'm in England, it's common sense. It's another idiocy that they said at the time. They [the media] sharpened nonsense like that.

"The only comment I made to Cristiano Ronaldo, as I knew him from Manchester United, is that we analyse how he was shooting free-kicks. We looked at the trajectory, see if we can make any adjustments, saw we couldn't and forgot about it."

Bale recorded nine goals and 10 appearances in his 15 appearances under Benitez across competitions. Cristiano Ronaldo played nine more games than the former Tottenham Hotspur winger under Benitez, registering 25 goals and eight assists.

The Spaniard was replaced at the helm by Zinedine Zidane in January, with the club winning the UEFA Champions League title that season. Benitez, meanwhile, went on to manage Newcastle United, Dalian Professional, and Everton in the years that followed.

He is currently a free agent after being relieved of his role as the Toffees' manager in January 2022.

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Agent advised Cristiano Ronaldo not to leave Real Madrid

A report by El Mundo (h/t Mundo Deportivo) claims that superagent Jorge Mendes advised Cristiano Ronaldo not to leave Real Madrid.

The Portugal icon wanted to become a free agent to bring his salary on par with that of Lionel Messi. Mendes, who was Ronaldo's agent at the time, apparently said:

"Stay at Real Madrid, you will be protected. If you leave it will be worse."

He left Los Blancos in the summer of 2018 to join Juventus, where he spent three years before a much-hyped return to Manchester United. He did not last long at Old Trafford and left in November.

Mendes and Ronaldo parted ways around the time Ronaldo was looking for a new club last year. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner ended up joining Al-Nassr in late December on a two-and-a-half-year contract as a player.