Cristiano: "Madrid renewing my contract would be a smart move"

Cristiano Ronaldo by La Sexta-produced sports programme, Jugones this afternoon. The Real Madrid forward put straight the rumours about his future, couldn't resist a little dig at Rafa Benítez, praised the man who succeeded him Zinedine Zidane and was ambitious ahead of this weekend's Champions League final.

Will you be staying at Real Madrid?

Yes, I think so.

Do you want to retire from the game at Madrid?

Retire… Within in 15 years at least. I'll hang up my boots when I'm 41 or thereabouts.

You're under contract until 2018. Will you renew terms with Madrid after the Champions League final?

We'll see… Who said that anyway? It would be better if it came from Florentino Pérez. It would be an intelligent move by Madrid. If you were Madrid president would you renew my contract?

Yes…

But I mean really do it…

Sure.

Of course I want to stay at Real Madrid.

But then you go and hobnob with PSG's president, whisper things to Blanc… you have been very ambiguous about your future…

I've had good moments, and bad ones… That's life. Four years ago I wasn't happy because things which I didn't like were happening. But now I really am happy and I want to stay at this club because I don't see any club which is better than Real Madrid. If you weigh everything up, there's nowhere better.

So should we forget about PSG then?

Everyone should just forget about it. Because Real Madrid is the best.

Did Benítez teach you how to take free-kicks?

(Laughs) You can always learn new things from coaches. Some things you can learn and other things you can't. With him, I saw some things which were different to other coaches, but obviously there are things that no one can teach you. You've either got it, or you haven't. You can always take something positive from coaches. I'm not just talking about free-kick taking, how to strike the ball, how to dribble, but that's their kind of thing.

What did you make of him?

He'd just say: "Right". Sometimes there are things which you cannot debate with another person because they think so differently to you, you just say thanks, and that's all…

Has Zidane helped you?

He's clever, he doesn't talk a lot. Those who talk a lot generally don't pay a lot of attention. He's quite a shy man but very positive. I identify with those kinds of people, he's very professional. I hope he wins his first Champions League as a coach and stays at Madrid for the next few years. He hasn't got a great deal of  experience as a coach, but he's doing a good job of finding his way, his own style and I like that.

Would it be a disaster if Madrid don't win the Champions League?

Yes, it probably would. But if we win it, it will put the seal on an excellent season, but if you lose, it's a disaster. It's one thing or the other. But I'd prefer to end with a top season. We're going to win the Champions League.

Are you physically in the kind of form you want to be in?

Cristiano always appears in the games that matter. I'll be at 100 per cent. On Saturday, I'll be in better form than I was in Lisbon. In Lisbon, my hamstring were hurting me, it was pretty bad… It was terrible because you know  that in certain moment you could give more but you can't because your body doesn't respond…

Isn't that your fault for overdoing it sometimes?

I like playing. People say to me: ‘Cris, you're not 20…’. It's something I have to learn to do, to tell myself to stop every two or three games.

Is it true that you take ice baths at three o'clock in the morning?

It's something I do because it makes me feel good. If I go out with friends and come home, I'll take an ice bath because it makes me feel good.