Carlo Ancelotti defends Cristiano Ronaldo amid recent criticism

Ancelotti had Ronaldo for two seasons at the club during his first spell in charge, and the two individuals are believed to have formed a close relationship in Madrid.

The 37-year-old recently had his contract terminated by Manchester United following the explosive interview that he gave to Piers Morgan on TalkTV.

Ronaldo's conduct at Man United this season caused a lot of controversy, with the Portugal international refusing to enter the field during a Premier League contest with Tottenham Hotspur.

The attacker was heavily critical of the 20-time English champions during his discussion with Morgan, and Man United were forced to act due to the nature of the interview.

Meanwhile, Portugal boss Fernando Santos recently criticised Ronaldo for his reaction to being substituted against South Korea in the national side's final group match at the 2022 World Cup.

The number seven was then dropped to the bench for the last-16 clash with Switzerland, and the European side thrived in his absence, running out 6-1 winners.

Ex-Red Devils captain Gary Neville was recently critical of his former teammate, claiming that he needs to stop "the petulance" and "the sulking".

On Thursday, a report from Record claimed that Ronaldo had threatened to leave the Portugal camp after learning that he would not start against Switzerland.

However, both the national team and the player firmly denied that was the case.

Ancelotti was full of praise for Ronaldo when asked about the free agent, claiming that he was 'never a problem' during their time together in the Spanish capital.

"Ronaldo probably still feels in his 20s because he's fine, he's got the answers he's looking for in his body," Ancelotti told Corriere dello Sport. "The competition has become tough.

"I've coached him (Ronaldo) for two years and there were no problems. In fact he solved them for me. Cristiano trains well, he pays attention to detail, everything was easy for me to manage. He is an exceptional player."

Ronaldo is believed to be determined to continue his career in European football, but it is understood that the only firm offer for his services at this stage has come from Saudi Arabia.