I was not forced out of Real Madrid by Cristiano Ronaldo — Rafa Benitez

Former Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid manager, Rafa Benitez has clarified that his departure from the Santiago Bernabéu was not influenced by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Benitez, who managed Los Blancos during the 2015/16 season, made the statement during an interview with MBC Masr 2, addressing long-standing rumours of a fallout with the Portuguese superstar.

“It’s not true that I left Real Madrid because of Cristiano Ronaldo,” Benitez said. “There was never any problem between us. He’s a great player and a phenomenon.”

The Spanish tactician explained that his exit stemmed from internal issues at the club, which had no connection to Ronaldo.

Benitez also shared his thoughts on Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, praising the Egyptian forward’s consistent impact.

“He makes the difference in every game,” Benitez said. “When a player takes care of himself and continues to perform at this level, age doesn’t matter. Of course, Salah deserves to win the Ballon d’Or. Why not?”