Segio Ramos to Ronaldo: There's no better place than being here

Segio Ramos to Ronaldo: There's no better place than being here

No-one can understand why Cristiano put his own grievances before the team's celebrations after Real Madrid won a third straight Champions League.

The bombshell dropped by Cristiano Ronaldo immediately after Real Madrid's Champions League final win over Liverpool has served to dampen the celebrations, and has left the club deeply unhappy. His comments - "It's been great being at Madrid; I'll speak in the next few days" - have caused bewilderment at Los Blancos.

The consensus was clear: It was not the time for this.

It was expected Cristiano contract issue could be sorted in summer

It was Real's captain, Sergio Ramos, who swiftly issued a categorical response: "He couldn't be in a better place than here." The Portuguese has been engaged in a stand-off with the club president, Florentino Pérez, over his current contract, which has seen him earn 22 million euros net a year since he signed an extension in November 2016.

Since then, Lionel Messi's pay packet has risen to double that following his renewal with Barça, and Neymar's after-tax wages have gone up to 37 million euros in the wake of his move to Paris Saint-Germain. While there is justification to his desire for an improved deal, Real felt it was an issue that could be resolved once the season was over. What no-one understands is the moment chosen by Cristiano to air his grievances, in the process overshadowing the deserved Champions League celebrations of a side who have just made history, having won three European Cups on the trot, and four in five years.

More than the message itself, it is the 33-year-old's timing that is what has gone down particularly badly. His complaints were well known within the Bernabéu, and he had already alluded to them in the media some months back, but no explanation can be found for the player opting to put his own interests before the team's on such a special night for Real Madrid.

Team-mates and Pérez feel he should have waited a few days

Cristiano should have waited a few days: that's the feeling among his team-mates and his president, who could not hide his annoyance at the former Manchester United man's remarks eclipsing the team's achievement.

At Real's trophy celebrations at the Bernabéu, the players usually take turns to speak to the supporters. At the moment, it remains unknown whether Cristiano will pick up the microphone, or, with doubts now hanging over his future at the club, will opt to remain silent.

Among the fans, the expectation remains that this is situation to be sorted out. Nobody can even imagine a Real Madrid without Cristiano Ronaldo. But can he?