'He asked me how much I earned' - Former footballer slams 'arrogant' Cristiano Ronaldo

Uruguayan Walter Pandiani, 49, faced Ronaldo several times in the Spanish league while playing for Osasuna and Espanyol.

In an interview with AS, as reported by Sports, he opened up about the 'very arrogant' Ronaldo during his days at Real Madrid.

Pandiani recalls a match between Osasuna and Real Madrid at their home stadium. According to him, the Pamplona-based team's fans are very passionate.

"They whistled and insulted him as soon as he came onto the pitch to warm up. That angered him, and while he was practicing free kicks, he started shooting at people. As a result, the match began in a tense atmosphere," Pandiani remembers.

After a foul, an altercation occurred between Ronaldo and Pandiani's teammate. "I pushed Cristiano. He asked me who I was and how much I earned," he reflects.

The argument continued in the tunnel. "I was very angry, and so were they. I absolutely couldn't stand his attitude. He was an arrogant guy. As a goalscorer, he was phenomenal, but his behaviour left much to be desired."

The match ended in a 1-0 victory for Osasuna. Afterwards, then-Real Madrid manager José Mourinho only made things worse. "He said I was looking for free publicity, even though I had played in the first division for eleven years. It was very unpleasant."

Meanwhile, Ronaldo has been preparing for the new season, having scored two goals and recorded a 3-2 loss against Almeria.