Image: Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo attends a news conference prior to their Champions League soccer match against AS Roma at the Olympic stadium in Rome, Italy February 16, 2016. REUTERS/Tony Gentile
ROME (Reuters) – Cristiano Ronaldo walked out of Real Madrid’s Champions League news conference on Tuesday after responding angrily to a question about his recent lack of away goals on the eve of their last 16 first-leg tie with AS Roma.
Ronaldo broke the competition’s record for the most goals scored in the group stage earlier this season when he hit 11, and is also the Champions League’s all-time top scorer with 88 goals in 121 appearances.
However, the Portugal forward was unhappy when asked why he had not scored on the road since Real Madrid’s 2-0 La Liga victory at Eibar on Nov. 29.
“Who else has scored more goals away from home than me since I arrived in Spain?” said Ronaldo. “Name one player who has scored more than me?
“No answer? Ok. Thank you everyone,” he added, before excusing himself from the news conference.
Ronaldo has scored 32 goals in all competitions so far this season – 21 at home and 11 away.
He has featured in four away games for Real since his goal against Eibar without finding the net, struggling to shine in recent La Liga matches against Real Betis and Granada.
“It’s understandable that people have doubts,” Ronaldo had said earlier. “It’s like with a son when you give him everything and then when you take it away, he cries.
“I hope that I can keep this ‘bad form’ up until the season’s end.”
Earlier this week, Real coach Zinedine Zidane reaffirmed Ronaldo’s importance to the team after he scored twice in a 4-2 win over Athletic Bilbao at the Bernabeu on Saturday.
He will hope the forward can grab his first away goal since November against a Roma side who conceded 16 goals in the group stage, more than any other team that reached the last 16.
“Cristiano is very important on the wing because when heat tacks one-on-one he’s very good, he’s very hard to defend against,” Zidane said.
(Writing by Ed Dove, Editing by Ken Ferris)
Copyright 2015 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.
