Ronaldo ‘calm’ after losing out on Ballon d’Or

Real Madrid star insists he has no rivalry with Messi.

MADRID: Cristiano Ronaldo picked up a Spanish League champions medal in 2012. Last year he also became the first man to find the net against every La Liga team in a single season and score 40 or more in two consecutive campaigns.

On the face of it, the Portuguese, who moved to Real Madrid from Manchester United for a record-breaking £80 million in 2009 and is one of the football’s highest-paid players, has a strong claim to be the world’s best. But once again “CR7” has had to play second fiddle to Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi, whose mesmerising skills made him the first man to win four Ballon d’Or titles.

While Messi carries on re-writing the record books after a monumental, and unprecedented, 91 goals in a calendar year, Ronaldo could be forgiven for feeling hard done by. He was happy to play down the outcome in Zurich, insisting that he did not feel overshadowed and there was no ill-feeling between him and Messi.

“I am calm about it,” said Ronaldo. “It’s not a matter of life and death. Life goes on. I don’t feel frustrated.”

So too, however, does a La Liga contest which may almost be over for Real this season, as they trail a Messi-inspired Barcelona side by 16 points, with the Catalan giants having won 17 out of 18 games to date. Regarding their respective Ballon d’Or tallies, Ronaldo says he and Messi have no problems with each other.



“There is no rivalry as to who wins more. Of course we are here to win but there’s no rivalry,” he insisted Tuesday, though before the Zurich denouement he had admitted that he would vote for himself if it were possible.

Real teammate Xabi Alonso said the Portuguese talisman has already moved on from the disappointment.

“He’s already thinking ahead to Celta Vigo, our next opponents in the Spanish Cup,” said Alonso. “I think Ronaldo feels supported by the club and the club is very satisfied with him.”

Even so, Ronaldo has yet to sign a new contract at the Bernabeu extending beyond his current deal which expires in mid-2015.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 10^th, 2013.