Santiago Solari has disputed Cristiano Ronaldo’s claim that the club lacks humility.
Ronaldo told Gazzetta dello Sport this week that Juventus, the club he joined for €100 million in July from Real Madrid, is “more humble and more of a family than Madrid.”
Asked about Ronaldo’s comments, Solari said in Tuesday’s news conference ahead of Madrid’s Champions League home encounter against CSKA Moscow: “Humility is a virtue of the greats.
“That is why, and more so for its values, this club has won so much. Cristiano will be ours forever, he is a living history of Real Madrid. His feelings belong to him and no one can judge them.”
The Portugal captain was the one who decided to leave Los Blancos this summer after scoring 450 goals and winning 16 trophies, including three straight Champions League titles, in nine seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
“I have a lot of respect for Cristiano,” Real Madrid right-back Alvaro Odriozola added. “He has given a lot for this club but that is in the past. This is a family and what has most surprised me is the humility of all my teammates and the hunger and work done by everyone on a daily basis.”
Madrid have taken 12 points of a possible 15 in La Liga to bounce back after their bad start to the season.
The Spanish giants have already qualified for the round of 16 of the Champions League as Group G leaders heading into Wednesday’s game, and moved into the top four of La Liga at the weekend with a 1-0 win at Huesca.
“I have no preference when it comes to La Liga or the Champions League,” Solari said. “I’m enthusiastic about winning every title. We must remain alive in every competition we are in and have the aim of being competitive.
We face every game trying to respect our history and each competition. Right now we have very little time to rest as we also have international commitments [the FIFA Club World Cup next week]. We will try to give our all in every game. That is the challenge.”
Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate