I’m not a friend of Messi —Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed that he and Ballon d’Or challenger Lionel Messi “aren’t good friends” but insisted that there is nothing more to their rivalry than what you see on the pitch.

The Real Madrid star has lived much of his career in direct comparison to the Argentinean playmaker.

Much of this comes down to the obvious rivalry between Madrid and Barcelona , but Ronaldo and Messi have also gone toe-to-toe for league and cup titles over the years as well as individual prizes like the Pichichi, Golden Boot and Ballon d’Or.

Despite this, Ronaldo insists that all talk of a big rivalry between them is a media construct, but admitted that he isn’t chummy with his fellow superstar.

“We aren’t good friends, but there is respect on both parts,” Ronaldo said in an interview with Coach magazine.

“The media talk about a great rivalry, but we don’t have one.”

Messi is currently bang in form for Barcelona but Ronaldo is enduring one of his worst goalscoring spells since his world-record move to La Liga.

The 31-year-old boasts just four goals this season in 768 minutes of play.

That works out at a goal every two-and-a-bit matches for Ronaldo and is a far cry from his usually eyewatering goals totals.

Such are the Portuguese forward’s struggles that he was jeered by Madrid fans during Sunday’s win over Athletic Club, and it would appear that those negative sentiments are starting to invade the dressing room – although not to his face.

Journalist Pipi Estrada on the pro-Madrid television show El Chiringuito denounced Ronaldo’s detractors as cowardly for criticising him behind his back.

“If it were a leader in the dressing room [who was criticising Ronaldo] then he would do it face to face with Cristiano.

Getty Images The referee (L) shows a yellow card to Real Madrid’s Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo during the UEFA Champions League football match Real Madrid CF vs Legia Legia Warszawa at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on October 18, 2016.

Angel Martinez

 

“There are voices behind, getting louder.

 

“The dressing room is bereft of leaders, but we can’t deny that there are some things that have to be called to account.”

 

Mundo Deportivo cites a training-ground incident between Ronaldo and James Rodriguez earlier this month sparked by the Madrid number 7’s egotism.