While the media would love to reveal and blow up some sort of gigantic hatred between Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, the truth is probably very different, and Ronaldo reacting to Bale scoring for Real Madrid is nothing new or unique.
The goal and moment that caused a lot of controversy, as if Real Madrid aren’t always shrouded with rumors, news, hints, allegations and other unbased “facts”, was when Ronaldo’s attempt to score was cleared at the line and Bale himself needed just one touch to score off the rebound. The crowd, currently in a “hate-Bale” mode since they aren’t happy with his selfishness and contribution over the last few months, started chanting Ronaldo’s name after Bale was named as the scorer.
Ronaldo doesn’t run to celebrate with Bale or other teammates. He lifts his arm in anger and walks back to the middle of the pitch. This isn’t something new, and it doesn’t come from Ronaldo being unhappy about his team scoring. It comes from his frustration that his shot wasn’t the one that crossed the line. Ronaldo wants to win badly, but wants to be the one who is responsible for that success just as much.
That’s part of what makes him such a great player, and apparently the most popular personality on Facebook. He has a hunger for goals that never ends, which is understandable especially after the rough patch Real Madrid have gone through, which included losing the top spot in the La Liga and almost getting knocked out of the Champions League by Schalke.
Does Ronaldo love Bale? Probably not. We see him frustrated with the decision making from the Welshman in almost every match. Bale playing like he’s alone on the pitch for almost three months is part of a different problem for Real Madrid. But there’s nothing new about Ronaldo reacting this way. As aware as he is to the fact that he’s followed every second on the pitch, he’s a passionate player that hangs his heart on his sleeve.
Real Madrid won’t fall apart or lose the championship/other titles because Ronaldo and Bale aren’t drinking buddies and instead, sometimes act like rivals on the pitch. There are plenty of other reasons and things to be concerned and worried about. Ronaldo wants to win and score all the goals. That’s always been the case, and one swing of the arm in frustration isn’t going to create a rift that tears this team apart.