Cristiano Ronaldo slammed by former Real Madrid teammate Rafael van der Vaart
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most decorated players in the modern era and has been praised by teammates and opposition players alike for his professionalism over the years.
With five Ballon d'Or awards and as many UEFA Champions League titles to his name, Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest players in the history of the game.
While players have waxed lyrical about Cristiano Ronaldo's attitude and dedication, there have also been reports of the Portuguese international being a bit of a bad sport at times.
Former Real Madrid and Dutch international Rafael van der Vaart recalled one such incident. Speaking to former teammate Peter Crouch on Instagram live, Van der Vaart claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo reacted angrily after he failed to score in a league game for Real Madrid in 2009.
"I played with Cristiano Ronaldo. Once with Real Madrid, we won 6-0 at home against Sporting Gijon, I scored a hat-trick, but he didn't score and in the locker room he was so angry!"
"He was furious. Normally, if it were you and me, we would have gone to have a beer together but with him, I don't know I could."
The Dutchman shared the dressing room with Cristiano Ronaldo for a solitary season, before moving to the Premier League to join Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2011. Van der Vaart's assessment of Cristiano Ronaldo typifies the Portuguese international, who is never happy until he has scored a goal himself.
However, upon inspecting the facts closely, the Dutchman's story does not add up. Firstly, the only hat-trick he scored for Real Madrid came in a 7-1 victory against Sporting Gijon in 2008. At the time, Cristiano Ronaldo was still a Manchester United player and only made his move to the Spanish capital a year later.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Real Madrid journey
Van der Vaart seemingly got his facts messed up, but his damning assessment of Cristiano Ronaldo was followed by his claims that he was tactically superior to the Portuguese international.
While the Dutchman left Real Madrid in the summer of 2010, Cristiano Ronaldo made the Santiago Bernabeu his home and achieved legendary status at the club. With a staggering 4 UCL titles and several other trophies to his name in Spain, Cristiano Ronaldo is regarded as one of the best players in Real Madrid's illustrious history.
In the summer of 2018, Cristiano Ronaldo shocked the world by sealing a surprise switch to Juventus in the Serie A. Since moving to Turin, the veteran striker has carried on with his goalscoring exploits and spearheaded the Bianconeri to the title in his first season at the club.
Currently, Juventus once again lead the way in the Serie A and Cristiano Ronaldo has been on the forefront of their title charge. With 21 league goals to his name so far, Juventus will hope for their talisman to carry on from where he left off and spearhead them to their ninth league title on the bounce.