Cristiano Ronaldo: 'I am Surprised by What the Public Thinks of Me'
Cristiano Ronaldo has hit out at critics of his form this season, claiming that he always has to prove just how good he is every time he plays.
The Real Madrid superstar bagged a brace in Tuesday's 3-1 Champions League victory over Borussia Dortmund - a pair of strikes which ended his brief goalscoring drought.
In quotes published by Marca after that contest at the Signal Iduna Park, Ronaldo admitted he had been left "surprised" by the opinions of many football fans relating to his start to the current campaign, and stated his belief that those who would wish to criticise him are gaining more traction with each passing game.
He remarked: "It seems that I have to keep showing exactly who I am in every match.
"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 was forced to miss five domestic games through suspensions after he was punished by the Spanish football authorities for pushing a referee in his side's 3-1 win over bitter rivals Barcelona on 13th August.
However, the Portugal captain has still registered an impressive five goals in six appearances in 2017/18 and, despite being dragged through the courts over an alleged tax evasion case, has knuckled down and continued to find the back of the net for Los Blancos.
Speaking specifically about the triumph over Bundesliga leaders Dortmund, Ronaldo added that manager Zinedine Zidane had implored his team to pick up what could prove to be a huge three points as Real continue to defend their Champions League crown.
The 32-year-old said: "Before the game we spoke about how much we wanted to win in Dortmund.
"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."
