Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has defended his star forward Cristiano Ronaldo following recent criticisms of the player's attitude, praising his ambitious mind-set.
The Portugal man drew the ire of some fans as videos circulated of him reacting angrily to a goal from teammate Álvaro Arbeloa, Ronaldo clearly feeling he should have been left to tap the ball into the empty net as he trudged back to the halfway line.
But Ancelotti deflected the focus away from the incident which occurred in a 3-0 win over Almería, instead choosing to talk about the 30-year-old's mind-set.
“He’s scored all these goals because of his character,” Ancelotti told AS at a press conference ahead of the upcoming game with Sevilla.
“Cristiano isn’t happy with how he does. He always wants to improve and score as many goals as he can.
“I don’t understand how the fans can whistle him.”
Ancelotti also spoke about the status of injured duo Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema, both of whom could be in line to return from the bench against Sevilla.
“I’m not going to take any risks. It’s not the last game of the season,” he stated.
“If they’re available, they’re available to play. They might not play 90 minutes but if there is a risk, we won’t risk it."
With title rivals Barcelona crushing Córdoba 8-0, Ancelotti also realises the importance of Saturday's game with Sevilla - but isn't taking anything for granted against a side sitting in fifth place in the La Liga table.
“Sevilla is a difficult opponent, strong, especially at home. It will be a game of great intensity and will require a lot from us because we need to win.
“They’re on a good run and we need to be at our best. We have to learn from both sides, when we win and when we lose.
“The team has reacted well to the injuries we had after the match with Malaga. Those who have played have done very well.”