Ronaldo is not a selfish player, says Benzema

France and Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has said Real Madrid football star Cristiano Ronaldo is not a selfish player.

Ronaldo has been time and again questioned for not passing the ball enough and instead taking a swipe at the goal himself.

But Benzema, who along with Ronaldo successfully defended the Champions League crown in a 4-1 final win against Juventus in Cardiff, said whenever he hears Ronaldo's name he just has admiration for the Portuguese. Ronaldo scored twice in the final.

"I have no words. When I hear his name, I just have a gesture of admiration," Benzema told a Spanish website AS.

"He's an extraordinary person. We understand each other well on the pitch. He wants to have the ball but it's very difficult to get it when he runs with it.

"He's not selfish on the pitch but if he has the ball he always wants to go for goal. And suddenly, he'll set me up to score," he added.

Ronaldo, a four-time Ballon d'Or winner, finished atop the Champions League scoring charts in the campaign, having netted 10 times from the quarter-final stage on.

Meanwhile, Sergio Asensio expressed his desire to stay at Real after experiencing a superb season at the Bernabeu, despite only starting 11 games.

"My intention is to stay at Real Madrid and to earn a lot of minutes. My goal is to be a starter at Real Madrid. There were moments when I didn't play, but I wanted to make the most of any chances the coach afforded me and I finished up in good form," Asensio told reporters here at a press conference on Thursday.

"I wasn't used to not playing. Yet I worked hard to make the most of the opportunities I got and I was able to finish the season well. This is something for them and the club. I hope that they both remain as they're great players and have helped me a lot throughout the season.

"With the national team I want to nail down my place in the squad and with Real Madrid I will try to get more minutes, more important minutes, and continue winning titles," he added.

--IANS

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