MADRID: Cristiano Ronaldo asked for immunity from the boos of the ever-demanding Santiago Bernabeu crowd after his hat-trick against Bayern Munich on Tuesday fired Real Madrid into the semi-finals of the Champions League for a seventh consecutive season.
Ronaldo’s double in Munich had given Real a 2-1 lead in the first leg and after a couple of wayward shots in the first half had provoked whistles from the home supporters, the prolific Portuguese proved the difference in an eventual 4-2 win over Bayern after extra-time, setting up a 6-3 aggregate victory.
“I’m not asking them to name streets after me, the only thing I ask is that they don’t boo me here,” Ronaldo told Spanish TV station Antena 3.
“I want them to stop booing me because I always give my best and even when I don’t score I try to help Real Madrid.”
Manager Zinedine Zidane lavished praise on the team’s all-time top scorer but reminded Ronaldo that Real players had to get used to the relentless pressure from supporters of the 11-time European champions.
“Perhaps the fans won’t boo him any more, but this is the Bernabeu and it can happen from time to time and he knows that,” said the former France captain.