According to former Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello, the Champions League winners biggest problem during their current slump is Cristiano Ronaldo’s lack of form and fitness.
After getting injured in 2016 EURO final for Portugal, Ronaldo missed all of Real Madrid’s pre-season and the opening month o of the season. As a result he has only played in four games this season, with just a goal and an assist to his name.
And Capello feels that the Portugal captain’s lack of fitness is what is costing Madrid, insisting that he is “not well physically”.
“The problem for Real Madrid now is Cristiano Ronaldo,” he told Onda Cero.
“Because he is not well physically and is their best player.”
Despite the presence of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, James Rodriguez, Alvaro Morata and Isco in Zinedine Zidane’s squad, Ronaldo remains the key component, and when he underperforms, Real invariably do so as well.
In Ronaldo’s seven full seasons with Real, he has averaged more than 37 goals per season in La Liga, and it was his penalty in the shoot-out that gave Real their 11th European Cup in May.
With FIFA’s transfer ban, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez has backed himself into a corner with Ronaldo. Selling him before the summer of 2018 makes no sense as they cannot buy anyone to replace someone who is expected to be named Ballon d’O winner for the fourth time.
But by the time the summer of 2018 roles around, Ronaldo will be 33 and Real would have few suitors for their aging star.
So the immediate futures of Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo and tied together, and Zinedine Zidane will be hoping that their talisman regains his form and fitness sooner rather than later.
