Cristiano Ronaldo hits out at his critics as Real Madrid star questions why he still has to prove them wrong

Two goals against Borussia Dortmund was enough for Ronaldo to respond to his critics

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Cristiano Ronaldo used his two goals against Borussia Dortmund to hit back at his critics that have doubted his abilities following a difficult start to the season, with the Real Madrid forward admitting “I have to keep showing exactly who I am in every match”.

Ronaldo struck twice in Madrid’s 3-1 victory at the Signal Iduna Park that leaves Zinedine Zidane’s side flying high at the top of the group ahead of their back-to-back fixtures with Tottenham. Former Spurs winger Gareth Bale added a spectacular volley for the third, but despite the victory Ronaldo was still unhappy after the match.

Ronaldo is yet to score in La Liga, with his goals this season coming either in the Champions League, Spanish Super Cup or on international duty, with the red card he received against Barcelona at the start of the season impacting on his playing time for Madrid. But his frustrations with those who doubted if he had ‘lost it’ boiled over in the aftermath of the victory in Dortmund, and the 32-year-old claimed that he was facing growing criticism which, he deemed, was unfair.

“It seems that I have to keep showing exactly who I am in every match,” Ronaldo told Atresmedia.

“I am surprised by what the public thinks of me, my numbers speak for themselves, I am an exemplary professional and I always have a clear mind.

“The criticism is getting worse.”

Ronaldo’s future is always one that is up for discussion no matter how long he has left on his contract at Real, with his current deal due to expire in 2021. Both Isco and Marco Asensio have agreed new contracts with the Liga club in recent weeks, but when pushed on his own future, Ronaldo was keen to brush off the questions and insist he’s happy in the Spanish capital, instead palming it onto the club’s president Florentino Perez.

“It's a good question, these things happen naturally but maybe the president can give a better response than I can,” Ronaldo added. “I'm happy and I'm doing what I enjoy.

“People talk about me every day all around the world, I live for football and my family, not for the media.

“Sometimes these stories start in Portugal, in Spain or even Germany, because when you're big business, people talk about you.”

Madrid find themselves in the unfamiliar position of sixth in the league table, behind Clasico rivals Barcelona, city rivals Atletico, Sevilla, Valencia and even Real Betis. With seven points already separating Zidane’s side from the top of the table, many are suggesting that the Champions League could once again provide the best opportunity for the club to claim silverware this season, having won the European Cup for the last two seasons, but Ronaldo believes that the impressive performance is a sign that things are beginning to click.


 Ronaldo and Bale both scored in the win over Dortmund 
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“Before the game we spoke about how much we wanted to win in Dortmund," he said. “We did what the coach told us, the team has been phenomenal, creating opportunities and it isn't easy to score three goals here.

“We played well.”