Madrid lost 4-0 at home to Barcelona in La Liga on Saturday, a defeat that now leaves Benitez’ side down in third place in the table, six points behind the champions.
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Barca’s victory on Saturday put them six points clear of Real at the top and Atletico Madrid leapfrogged their city rivals into second thanks to Sunday’s 1-0 win at Real Betis.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has called a news conference following a humiliating loss to Barcelona in the Spanish league this weekend.
“We have had a board meeting and analysed the sporting situation at Real Madrid and Rafa has all our support and all our confidence”, he said. “But Benitez just started his job and we need to let him do his work”.
“Benitez-Ronaldo crisis? I spoke with Ronaldo last week, he never said he had a bad relationship with the coach”.
“I understand the disappointment of our fans after what happened”, Perez said.
“With the case of Cristiano, we have said many times there is a strategy for him to go to another club next season”, Guillem Balague told Sky Sports.
However, the president did stress that this support was not necessarily timeless, after previous coaches Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti were eventually dismissed having similarly received public backing.
Ronaldo has made no secret of his distaste for the Spaniard’s containing tactics and delivered the type of listless turn that suggested he would lean on Perez to issue the P45 forms there and then.
Meanwhile, Real legend Zinedine Zidane has been forced to deny that he is being lined up to replace Benitez as head coach of the first team.
“I don’t know if you are capable of being sure that you’re going to still be working where you work in a few weeks’ time”, Perez told reporters. “Things are fine at the moment”, said Zidane. Last year, at the end of the season, I had the feeling that I still lacked something to take over the first team.
In the meantime, Ronaldo and Real will try to shake off their El Clasico experience and ready for its next Champions League bout against Shakhtar on Wednesday.
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“I realise my responsibility for the result and doing my best for the fans to be happy”.
