Cristiano Ronaldo has strongly denied reports that he calls Barcelona’s Lionel Messi several offensive names inside the Real Madrid changing room.
In a new book by Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, Ronaldo is claimed to have called Messi several offensive names in the Madrid changing room and that the rivalry between the two players is more fierce on his side than actually made public.
However, after learning of such reports, the Portuguese winger moved quickly to deny the story.
Writing on his official Facebook page, he said: “News is circulating that I allegedly made offending remarks regarding Lionel Messi.
“This is absolutely false and I have assured my lawyer takes action to sue those responsible. I have the utmost respect for all my professional colleagues, and Messi is obviously no exception.”
The book also claims that the 29-year-old joins in with Madrid team-mates comparing Messi to a dog or puppet which Ronaldo keeps in one of his designer bags.