Iniesta coy on Ronaldo

Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta has refused to comment on the Ronaldo situation, saying 'I do not know how he feels'.

The Spain international, who was recently voted the best player in Europe at a ceremony in Monaco, was coy when asked about the dissatisfaction his Real Madrid rival feels, but also went on to talk about his pride at collecting the award and the methods used by new coach Tito Vilanova.

“I do not know how he [Ronaldo] feels,” Iniesta told AS. “Everyone has their reasons, people in life have good and bad moments. There's little more I can say about it.

“Being a footballer has its advantages and disadvantages – it can be very stressful, but a club should be like a family where you share your emotions.

“I can only talk about my own situation. But I believe you have to think of the whole perspective, not just in one singular moment.

“There was a period when I was not playing much, but I had to be calm and believe better times would come. It's easy when things are going well, but in bad situations that's when you see who the real person is.

“Sure, there have been times when I've felt unfairly treated, but I have respect for my fellow professionals – and that meant I had to wait for my chance and be confident. I never thought of going to the media [when he was left on the bench for the Champions League final in 2006], I just worked hard and spoke to the coaches.

“I cherish every moment I play football.”

The Spain international then went on to comment on his Uefa best player in Europe award, where he beat Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to first place.

“Receiving an award does not make you better than anyone else. It motivates me, that's for sure, but my respect for my team mates is still there. This sort of recognition means nothing if you're performance drops two years later.

He concluded the interview by describing the techniques used by Tito Vilanova, and the rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid.

“Things are more or less the same [between Vilanova and Guardiola]. Tito has his own way of talking to us, and a slightly different way of doing things, but they're the only changes.

“[The rivalry] was bad before. It does not make sense for us to be as we were. It is as it should be now.”

Tags Cristiano Ronaldo Iniesta
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