Jose Mourinho has defended Cristiano Ronaldo for not celebrating after scoring a goal at the weekend, a move which drew unusually strong criticism from the pro-Real Madrid media.
|Last Updated: Jan 09, 2012, 10:53 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Madrid: Jose Mourinho has defended Cristiano Ronaldo for not celebrating after scoring a goal at the weekend, a move which drew unusually strong criticism from the pro-Real Madrid media.
The Portugal forward made an angry gesture and walked back to the centre circle with his head bowed after netting the final goal in Real`s 5-1 home win over Granada on Saturday, when he also received whistles from sectors of the Bernabeu crowd.
The victory left Real five points clear of Barcelona at the top of the standings, after the champions drew 1-1 at Espanyol.
"He seems fine to me," Real coach Mourinho told reporters on Monday, ahead of their King`s Cup last-16 second leg away to Malaga.
"I think it is more relevant that he celebrates the goals that win games and not the fifth goal in the 90th minute.”
"I saw him celebrate the other four that were the important ones. If there are going to be criticisms of a player for not celebrating goals, then why not criticise me because I didn`t celebrate any of the five goals. I didn`t even get up."
Ronaldo, the world`s most expensive player, is La Liga`s leading scorer with 21 goals, but his performance has been under scrutiny since a poor showing in Real`s 3-1 home defeat to Barcelona last month.
There is a perception among some Real fans that Ronaldo can be too selfish at times, and there have been grumblings of discontent directed his way in the last two home games.
Mourinho`s assistant coach Aitor Karanka told Saturday`s post-match news conference Ronaldo had been "angry with himself because things weren`t coming off well for him".
Cup holders Real have a 3-2 advantage ahead of their second leg in Malaga on Tuesday, and they could set up a quarter-final meeting with Barca if their arch-rivals also make good on their 4-0 advantage over Osasuna on Thursday.
Bureau Report
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.