MADRID — Pressure is building on Real Madrid to come to terms with Cristiano Ronaldo on a contract extension, a deal the Portugal forward has carefully avoided mentioning since negotiations broke down last summer. The Spanish press has been sending near-daily messages to Madrid President Florentino Perez along the lines of: “Renew Cristiano Ronaldo's contract now.” Ronaldo's importance to Madrid was glaringly obvious Saturday when, with him serving a one-game suspension, Jose Mourinho's team was held to a humiliating 0-0 draw by bottom club Osasuna. Madrid's offensive firepower of Karim Benzema, Gonzalo Higuain and Alvaro Morata — supported by Angel Di Maria, Luka Modric and Xabi Alonso, and substitutes Mesut Oezil and Kaka — seems unable to create match-winning opportunities without Ronaldo. The Portugal forward has heightened the tension by playing his cards close to his chest. “I want to see out my contract at Real Madrid. I'm very clear about that,” Ronaldo said in an interview posted Monday on FIFA.com. “After that, well, I don't know what will happen in the future.” Sports newspapers Marca and As regularly publish polls which show that more than 70 percent of Madrid fans think Perez should renew Ronaldo's deal as soon as possible. — AP
