What’s the story?
Real Madrid legend Iker Casillas has criticised Los Blancos fans after they were caught booing star striker Cristiano Ronaldo in the 3-0 win over Real Sociedad last night. The legendary Spanish keeper decried the treatment of Ronaldo while speaking to Onda Cero, saying “As a Madridista, sometimes you don't understand why it can happen. Six months ago Madrid were European champions, one month ago they were world champions.”
“If he scores two or three goals a game, that is just what he is supposed to do. It is madness. You must help him - have people around him and the club who help to protect the players.”
In case you didn’t know...
Iker Casillas himself was on the end of some rather stringent treatment from the Real Madrid fans in the final few seasons at the club. The Spaniard, now at FC Porto, was infamously identified as the ‘mole’ who leaked Jose Mourinho’s lineup ahead of El Clasico, leading to somewhat of a civil war in Madridista fandom.
The heart of the matter
Cristiano Ronaldo has been in the spotlight after Real Madrid’s unbeaten streak of 40 games came to an end. The defending Champions League winners lost to Sevilla and were then knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Celta Vigo, leading to the Real Sociedad game becoming a ‘must-win’ encounter.
At the start of the game, Ronaldo misplaced a couple of passes, leading to him being booed by certain sections of the notoriously demanding crowd at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Portuguese superstar did not take kindly to it, as cameras caught him making a foul-mouthed response when booed.
Eventually, Ronaldo did do his talking on the pitch, creating Mateo Kovacic’s opener, while then making it 2-0 with a deft finish.
What next?
Despite the furore surrounding his form, Ronaldo remains Madrid’s best performer, having scored 20 goals in 25 appearances this season. With Real Madrid starting to pull away at the top of the La Liga table, the criticism surrounding him might die down soon.
Sportskeeda’s take
Cristiano Ronaldo is a victim of his own superb standards – the Portuguese star’s tally of 20 goals in 25 appearances this season is not enough, but Casillas makes a fair point. As the Ballon d’Or winner ages, he will surely be unable to live up to his peak, but deserves the support of the Real Madrid crowd at that very point. Booing is probably detrimental to the player, and by extension, the club.
