What’s the Story?
Real Madrid’s shot-stopper Keylor Navas has explained that Cristiano Ronaldo is not happy with the whistles he receives from the fans at the Bernabeu. Recently, his form has been on the slide and fans are growing impatient with his performances.
But on Sunday, he produced an excellent all-round performance despite initial stutters. That didn’t stop the Real Madrid fans from booing him when he took a bad touch or had a misplaced pass.
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Navas has said the Portuguese star feels hurt when his own fans boo him. Speaking to El Larguero, he said, “You can tell that Cristiano really loves all the fans and Sergio Ramos, has said so. It's not that he doesn't care that they whistle him. It hurts him when they whistle and jeer, but he knows that the fans also support us. He always tries to help the team by scoring goals.”
Asked if he saw Ronaldo reacting to the boos after the game he said, “No I didn't see it, but I know how he is within the dressing room. He wants to win all the trophies we can so that we can make the fans happy.”
In case you didn’t know...
The atmosphere at the Bernabeu this season has been far from satisfied despite the incredible season Zidane’s men have been enjoying so far. Los Blancos went on an incredible 40-match unbeaten run breaking Barcelona record earlier this season.
Despite being knocked out of the Copa Del Rey recently by Celta Vigo they are in a very good position in the league with Zidane aiming to end their 4 year La Liga drought this season.
But for some reasons, fans have not been happy with certain players even when they are winning. Their captain Sergio Ramos has spoken out about the hostile atmosphere and has requested the fans to be more supportive towards their players and Ronaldo in particular.
The heart of the matter
The expectations on Ronaldo’s shoulders has always been high ever since he joined Real Madrid. But some fans are probably unhappy with the 31-year-old for being too selfish. Whenever the Portuguese makes a mistake on the field, the fans don’t hesitate to let their feelings known.
It is now known that Ronaldo is not able to hide his disappointment when the fans whistle him. The toxic environment towards Ronaldo has become a problem but Ramos after first criticizing the fans has now asked for their cooperation when they play at home.
What’s next?
Real Madrid currently have a 4 point lead over second placed Barcelona with a game in hand and in their quest for the La Liga title they play Celta Vigo on Sunday night. They also face Napoli in the Champions League as they aim to become the first club to defend their crown.
Sportskeeda’s take
This is nothing new for Ronaldo but the boos have intensified this year. The 31-year-old has always been happy to take flak from fans but this season it’s different. There have been more mediocre performances that usual.
His search to find form has led him to become more selfish in front of goal which has sometimes frustrated fans. Hopefully, once Ronaldo is back to his best, it will also put an end to the Bernabeu boos.
