Cristiano Ronaldo: Atletico Madrid don’t play attractive football

Cristiano Ronaldo apologized to the Real Madrid fans after crashing out of the Copa del Rey but took time to criticize Atletico’s style of play.

After crashing out of the Copa del Rey 4-2 on aggregate against rivals, Atletico Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo apologized to the fans on a night where Fernando Torres scored a brace.

Ronaldo – who presented his recently won Ballon d’Or before the game – equalized on the night to make it 2-2 but it wasn’t enough for the current holders who were in need of three more goals to progress.

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Speaking in the mixed zone, he said:

"“In the name of the team, I can only apologise to the fans, because we could have done better in the second half,” Ronaldo said. “I appreciate the support we received on the bus, and the reception they gave me before the game.”"

Ronaldo also took a jab at Diego Simeone’s side’s style of play – one that has seen the Rojiblancos go unbeaten against Carlo Ancelotti’s side in five meetings this.

"“Atletico do not play attractive football,” Ronaldo said. “They are very defensive. They are always waiting for set-pieces, but it works well for them. You must respect their players and their coach.”"

There’s not a whole lot of love lost between Ronaldo and Atletico, as the star isn’t pulling any punches in his assessment how he thinks the team plays. Then again, this could be a tactic to get inside of his opponents head, as Ronaldo is a classic gamesman and knows how to psyche out those who play against him both with his style of play and with the help of a few mind tricks.

The saving grace for Los Blancos is that they can concentrate solely on La Liga and the Champions League now. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid will face Barcelona in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey.

Cristiano Ronaldo apologized to the Real Madrid fans after crashing out of the Copa del Rey but took time to criticize Atletico’s style of play.

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