Madrid: Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho believes that Cristiano Ronaldo generally conducts himself well despite being heckled by opposing fans often, but accepts that the winger`s past actions have left him open to criticism.
The 27-year-old was repeatedly called `Barbie` by the home crowd as Madrid strolled to a 5-0 victory at Mallorca on Sunday, and the hugely-successful trainer has leapt to his defence.
"Insults aimed at Ronaldo? I don`t think what I say will change anything," the 49-year-old was quoted as saying by Marca.
"It is not easy for a player to play away from home and be insulted. You can criticise some of his reactions, but I`ve never seen Ronaldo answer insults with bad manners."
Mourinho went on to dismiss claims that his reticence to use homegrown players had caused a rift with youth coach Alberto Toril, but stated there is a big difference between the Castilla side and the first team.
"My relationship with Toril is normal. I do my work with the first team, he works with the second team, in this case.”
"I have three players that he can use when he wants, and I can when I want. I think it is positive for us both if we have good quality players, and it`s good for me that players can play for the Castilla if they don`t get minutes here (in the first team).
"The collaboration between us both is positive, but he has his autonomy. They have a different system to us, they have a distinct model. They have players who play in positions which do not exist here. We don`t play 4-4-2.”
"I respect his autonomy, just as he does mine. There is not a problem," he said.
Goal.com
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.