Why Cristiano Ronaldo's 'Unhappiness' at Real Madrid Will Fuel Him to His Best

The recent drama surrounding the emotional health of a certain Portuguese footballer has been the hot-topic in football since basically the start of September.

Bleacher Report's own Allan Jiang has provided various reasons as to why Ronaldo could have said what he said. Matt Fitzgerald, another Bleacher Report author, spoke about why this story was receiving unnecessary attention.

We aren't here to provide any more theories for Cristiano Ronaldo's "unhappiness" but looking at some of the said theories will provide us with reasons as to why Ronaldo will play his best football this season.

One theory presented in this article by the Guardian's Marcus Christenson on the matter, is that Ronaldo doesn't feel that he gets the required support from Madrid's fans, his teammates and the club's hierarchy.

When looking back at Jiang's article, another theory—that Ronaldo wants a pay-rise—comes to the forefront. 

Out of the two, the idea that Ronaldo feels he isn't loved is arguably more important. We can still touch on the money issue but according to the Daily Mail's Peter Jenson that issue may soon be resolved.

"Real Madrid are preparing a joint statement with Cristiano Ronaldo that should put an end, at least temporarily, to the uncertainty over his future.

The declaration being compiled by the club, but expected to be signed by the player as well, will affirm Real’s commitment to eventually extending Ronaldo’s contract beyond 2015 and will also give the club’s full support to his candidacy for the Ballon D’Or prize awarded at the end of the year."

Ronaldo stated from the beginning that this wasn't about the money and while a man should be taken for his word, it's hard not to be skeptical about that statement.(via BBC.)

Marca.com compiled a list of the 10 highest-paid players in the game currently and Mr. Ronaldo is at the bottom of that list.

When looking at his individual statistics, 151 goals in 151 games, and various match-winning performances it's hard to argue that Ronaldo's not deserving of this new deal. Whether or not its logical for Madrid in this current financial climate is another matter.

That's why, in this instance, money alone isn't enough for Ronaldo to play his best football.

Jenson's article also touches on the matter concerning Ronaldo's perceived lack of support;

"There had also been leaks from the player’s camp that he had grown unhappy because he is not universally loved.

Ronaldo feels his relationship with many of the Madrid fans is not what it should be. After scoring 150 goals in his first 150 games for the club (151, according to Ronaldo, after a referee awarded a deflected effort to Pepe) one might expect unwavering  adulation. But while the £80 million attacker’s name is still sung by his former United supporters at Old Trafford, at the Bernabeu there is no special treatment."

Ronaldo has gotten used to a lot of booing and fans chanting Lionel Messi's name etc. during his career but it's strange to think that not all is well with fans at Real Madrid. His antics on the pitch probably have a part to play in that.

When compared to how Lionel Messi is praised and supported by all folks within Barcelona and, of course, among the fans, you can see where Ronaldo is coming from.

There's also the fact that Messi doesn't give off the same petulant vibes as Ronaldo does at times and neither does he have the same type of competition in past players that Ronaldo does.

While Barcelona fans have seen the likes of Romario, Johan Cruyff, Laszlo Kubala etc., Messi stands above them all in terms of what he has done for the club and his level of play during that time.

Ronaldo can certainly make a case for himself in terms of playing standards but he has to contend with Alfredo Di Stefano, Raul(whose number he wears), Zinedine Zidane and suchlike for the respect of Madrid fans.

If Ronaldo wants the adulation of Real Madrid fans much like those names mentioned above, he will have to continue performing on the pitch. The individual statistics are great and will certainly continue for a player of his skill but what fans of a club want even more are trophies.

The silverware has slowly started to trickle in with the Copa del Rey in 2010/11, the La Liga title last year and the Spanish Super Cup this year but that's a small start.

For Ronaldo, playing his best football will mean making this Madrid team as dominant as they were during the periods the players aforementioned played.

Ronaldo doesn't have to do much more to convince his employers about his worth.

Some more trophies would certainly help his case but his presence and play has raised revenue and helped the club raise its profile even more—if that's even possible. Evidence of this is the Metro's article of a few years ago reporting on Cristiano Ronaldo's shirt sales for the club.

He apparently still has to convince some of the Real Madrid fans though. You could see that he felt appreciated by teammates and fans alike last night after his winner against Manchester City.

He will want more of that as the season, and his career at the club, continues and that's why he will play his best football this season.