Cristiano Ronaldo is being mentioned in transfer rumors again as reports revealed some fans want Real Madrid to sell the Portugal international. But will Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane give into their fans' call?
Real Madrid fans criticized Ronaldo during one of their recent games at the Bernabeu. Zidane said he is aware of the fans' frustration and calls for him to ship the superstar forward out, but he reiterated that he is not planning to sell Ronaldo anytime soon.
"I am the coach and I like Cristiano," Zidane told reporters on Monday. "The jeers, I also got them when I played, we all did. It is not about the player. It is about the fans demanding more from their players."
Zidane is also not worried about the criticisms, saying that he is glad their fans are still filling up their home stadium every game, which makes him more convinced that the jeers and whistles are nothing to worry about.
"In the end, the supporters love their players and that is what matters," Zidane said. "Because I continue to always see the stadium filled. That means a lot. The fans are very important for us. And the fans know that they are important. When they don't see the things they want they whistle a little."
Meanwhile, Real Madrid defender Pepe defended Ronaldo against his critics. Pepe said that fans should appreciate the fact that Ronaldo is playing well for Real Madrid this season, as proven by his four-goal performance during their 7-1 win against Celta Vigo on Saturday.
Ronaldo has already scored 27 goals to go along with nine assists in 28 La Liga games, and is on track to get the European Golden Boot award and the La Liga "Pichichi." For Pepe, fans should just continue supporting and motivating the players to get better results in their upcoming games.
"He is on track for the Pichichi, he has scored a lot of goals and people continue to criticize him," Pepe said. "I would like to be in his situation. I think we need to focus on our game and play together, because when the fans and the players are united we are that much stronger."
Ronaldo already has 252 goals in 228 La Liga appearances and is now second in the all-time La Liga scoring list behind Lionel Messi, who has tallied 304 goals in his Primera Division career.
