According to radio station Cadena Ser (h/t Ed Malyon of the Daily Mirror), as the two players clashed during Real’s 3-0 win, the Atletico man made the slur against Ronaldo. However, the Portuguese, who netted a hat-trick at the Vicente Calderon, is said to have issued a sharp response.
“I might be a f----t...but a very rich one,” Ronaldo is alleged to have replied. “Arseh--e.”
According to Cope (h/t Sport), the Real forward then spoke of the exchange to a team-mate. “Koke called me a f----t,” Ronaldo is said to have told another Los Blancos player. “‘You are a f----t,’ he said to me,” the forward reportedly continued. “I said to him 'if we meet in Madrid, you'll see what I'll do'."
AS English captured the moment the Spain international went head-to-head with Ronaldo in a very literal sense:
AS English @English_ASCalm down, temper temper, you shouldn't get so annoyed. Ronaldo squaring up to Koke, proper shouting.
Ronaldo undoubtedly had the last laugh on the night. Despite missing a collection of key men due to injury, Real Madrid ran riot in what’s expected to be the last Madrid derby at the Calderon.
The 31-year-old’s deflected free-kick, penalty and fine finish after a swift counter-attack gave Real a comfortable 3-0 win over their rivals, as well as a four-point lead at the top of La Liga; that’s after Barcelona were held to a 0-0 draw at home to Malaga.
Atletico players and fans will be sick of the sight of Ronaldo, as earlier in the year, he netted the winning penalty in Real’s UEFA Champions League final win over Diego Simeone’s side.
OptaJose summed up just how lethal Ronaldo is against Atletico, especially from the spot:
OptaJose @OptaJose8 - Cristiano Ronaldo has scored eight penalties against Atletico, more than against any other side (all competitions). Punisher.
As for Koke, it was an evening to forget. Per Malyon, there have been question marks over whether the playmaker possesses the discipline to play in the centre of midfield; Atletico captain Gabi had hinted the team are too open with Koke at their core in the buildup to the derby.
Indeed, Atletico have utilised Koke from a wider berth in the past, with Gabi lining up alongside veteran Tiago in matches against other elite sides.
As noted by ESPN FC’s Dermot Corrigan, in the 3-0 loss, Isco ran the show in midfield at the expense of his compatriot:
Dermot Corrigan @dermotmcorriganMaybe biggest surprise of night was hands down Isco winning battle of young Spanish playmakers over Koke. Helped having structure behind him
Ronaldo's always harnessed negativity and used it as fuel to thrive. In a cauldron-like atmosphere on Saturday, he did so once again.
