ronaldo ended his fourth season at Real Madrid as the Champions League top goalscorer for a second time in his career with 12 goals. In the league, Real Madrid failed to defend their La Liga title, finishing runners up to arch-rivals Barcelona, and were eliminated in the semi-finals in the UEFA Champions League for the third consecutive year. Accounting for all competitions, Ronaldo ended the season with a total of 55 goals, having scored 19 goals with his right foot (excluding free kicks and penalty kicks), 16 with his left foot and 9 with his head.[158]
2013–14 season
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Real Madrid's failure to win major silverware last season and reports of division in the dressing room had prompted speculation that Ronaldo, whose contract runs until June 2015, might be seeking a move away from the Spanish capital.[159][160][161] On 8 June 2013, Ronaldo moved to quell the speculation over his future by insisting that he would reach a deal to renew his contract with Real Madrid.[162] On 3 July 2013, Ronaldo admitted that he was missing the English Premier League, but ruled out an imminent move back to Old Trafford.[163]
On 18 August 2013, Ronaldo made his 200th competitive appearance for Real Madrid in a 2–1 home win over Real Betis.[164]Ronaldo had not scored during the first two league games, but against Athletic Bilbao on 1 September 2013, he scored his first of the season in a 3–1 home victory.[165]
On 15 September 2013, after much speculation,[166] Ronaldo signed a new contract with Real Madrid that will keep him at the club until 2018,[167] with a salary of €21 million (after taxes), which makes him the highest paid player in football. On 17 September 2013, Ronaldo scored the second Champions League hat-trick of his career in Real Madrid's opening group match of the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League, a 6–1 away win against Galatasaray. On 22 September 2013, Ronaldo scored a brace in a 4–1 home victory against Getafe CF, including his 209th goal in his 205th game, to become the fifth highest scorer in the club's history.[168]
In his 100th game in the European competitions against Copenhagen on 2 October 2013, Ronaldo scored a brace as Real Madrid went on to a 4–0 home victory.[169] On 5 October 2013, Ronaldo scored a 94th-minute winner against Levante.[170] On 23 October 2013, Ronaldo scored twice in a 2–1 home victory against Juventus to become the Champions League's third all-time highest goalscorer with 57 goals.[171] On 30 October 2013, Ronaldo scored his 18th La Liga hat-trick in a 7–3 home win against Sevilla.[172]
In a debate at Oxford Union in October 2013, when asked whether FIFA president Sepp Blatter preferred Messi or Ronaldo, Blatter paid tribute to the work ethic of the Argentine before taking a swipe at Ronaldo, claiming "one of them has more expenses for the hairdresser than the other". Real Madrid demanded – and promptly received – a full apology, and the Portuguese issued his own riposte with a mock-salute celebration after scoring a penalty against Sevilla, after Blatter had described him as a "commander" on the pitch.[173]
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