'Sad' Ronaldo says, it is not about the money

Cristiano Ronaldo said on Tuesday his sadness had nothing to do with money as the Real Madrid forward looked to head off media speculation he simply wanted for a more lucrative deal.

The world's most expensive player hit the headlines after Sunday's 3-0 La Liga win over Granada when he failed to celebrate his two goals and told reporters he was "sad" for "professional" reasons and that the club knew why.

"That I am feeling sad and have expressed this sadness has created a huge stir," the 27-year-old Portugal forward said via his Twitter account.

"I am accused of wanting more money, but one day it will be shown that this is not the case."

Local newspapers and radio stations have been full of speculation about the reasons for Ronaldo's outburst.

He was reported to have had a meeting with club president Florentino Perez on Saturday and said he did not feel he had the support of the dressing room, was unhappy and wanted to leave.

Ronaldo rejected the idea he was downcast at losing out to Barcelona's Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta for the Best Player in Europe award on Thursday.

There were also suggestions the former Manchester United winger, one of the world's best-paid players, earning some 11 million euros (8.7 million pounds) a year, was seeking an improved contract.

"I just want to guarantee to the Real Madrid fans that my motivation, dedication, commitment and desire to win all competitions will not be affected," he added.

"I have too much respect for myself and for Real Madrid to ever give less to the club than all I am capable of."

Earlier on Tuesday, Ronaldo's teammate Alvaro Arbeloa said the squad had no idea their leading scorer was unhappy.

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