Cristiano Ronaldo apologises to Real Madrid CF teammates after 'not at my level' comments

New Delhi: Real Madrid star versatile forward Cristiano Ronaldo has apologized to his Real Madrid team-mates by sending a message to their WhatsApp group reportedly.

According to a report in the Mirror, Ronaldo personally said sorry for his comments, which appeared to shift the blame for the defeat against rivals Atletico Madrid onto his team-mates.

Ronaldo had made controversial remarks following Real's disappointing 1-0 defeat to city rivals Atletico on Saturday. The loss served as an added pressure for the Zinedine Zidane managed side in La Liga title race.

Ronaldo had earlier commented that, "If everyone was at my level, maybe we would be leaders.”

But the 31-year-old Portugal international apologised during an interview with Spanish daily Marca, in which he said: “I was referring to the physical level, not level of play. I am not better than any of my team-mates.”

Ronaldo's image took a hitting after those comments and he was also criticised for the interview following the defeat.

The win had seen Atletico become the first team in La Liga history to win three consecutive fixtures at the Bernabeu stadium.