Cristiano Ronaldo: Sergio Ramos defends forward to Real Madrid fans

Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo's contract at Real Madrid runs until June 2018

Real Madrid fans who jeered Cristiano Ronaldo in the Champions League win over Roma should "think a little first", says captain Sergio Ramos.

Ronaldo scored one and set up the other, but also missed several chances, as Real progressed with a 2-0 win.

The 31-year-old appeared to criticise some of his team-mates in February, although he claimed he was misquoted.

"I respect the fans but when things don't go well they should support their players," said defender Ramos.

"I would tell the fans to think a little first. We all want the best for Real Madrid," he told Spanish newspaper Marca.

Ramos, 29, added however that he could understand why a section of Real's fans criticised the club's all-time top scorer.

Oliver Kay tweet
Times chief football correspondent Oliver Kay reacts to the Bernabeu's boos

"When the fans at the Bernabeu boo you it is because they want to transmit their demands to you, they want to push us and see the best performance from us," said the Spain international.

Coach Zinedine Zidane told Spanish television that the jeers would "only motivate" Ronaldo.

Ronaldo, who scored his 40th goal of the season as Real made the Champions League quarter-finals with a 4-0 aggregate win, questioned whether Real's squad had enough quality last month.

Picking out France forward Karim Benzema, Wales attacker Gareth Bale and Brazil full-back Marcelo as team-mates he particularly enjoyed playing with, Ronaldo claimed that if all of his colleagues were at his level "maybe we would be leaders".

Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo has now scored 40 or more goals in six successive seasons at Real Madrid

Winger Lucas Vazquez, forward Jese and midfielder Mateo Kovacic were three players Ronaldo claimed were "not the same" as his preferred line-up.

Real Madrid are third in La Liga, 12 points behind Barcelona and four off Atletico Madrid.

Elsewhere on the BBC