Cristiano Ronaldo's old boss was caught on tape calling him 'crazy,' an 'idiot,' and a 'sick man'

• Real Madrid's president called Cristiano Ronaldo an "idiot" in leaked audio from 2012 published this week.
• "He's crazy. This guy is an idiot, a sick man," Florentino Perez said of the Portuguese star.
• Perez also attacked Ronaldo's agent and then-Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho in the leaked audio.

Real Madrid President Florentino Perez called Cristiano Ronaldo an "idiot" in a 2012 conversation that has been leaked by Spanish daily El Confidencial.

Ronaldo spent nine seasons at Madrid between 2009 and 2018, during which time he scored 450 goals and guided the club to four Champions League titles.

"He's crazy. This guy is an idiot, a sick man," Perez could be heard saying about Ronaldo in the leaked audio. "You think this guy is normal, but he's not normal, otherwise, he wouldn't do all the things he does.

"The last nonsense he did, the whole world saw it. Why do you think he does that stupid thing?"

Perez also went on to criticize Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes, Madrid manager at the time Jose Mourinho, and full-back Fabio Coentrao.

All three, as well as Ronaldo, are Portuguese.

"Mendes doesn't control [Cristiano], just like he doesn't control Mourinho. Zero weight. These are guys with a terrible ego, both spoiled, and they don't see reality," said Perez.

He added: "Right now Coentrao is s--- and Mourinho is an idiot."

Perez's comments on Ronaldo have come to light just days after further leaked audio heard him attacking Madrid legends Raul and Iker Casillas.

In tapes released again by El Confidencial, Perez accused striker Raul of "destroying" Real Madrid through his negativity, while he called goalkeeper Casillas a "failure."

Raul is Madrid's second all-time top scorer behind only Ronaldo and its most capped ever player, while Casillas is widely regarded as the club's greatest ever goalie.

"Casillas is not a Real Madrid standard goalkeeper, what can I say? He's not and never has been," Perez said.

"He has been a big failure of ours. The problem is people adore him, love him, talk to him, they defend him so much."

Perez added: "[Casillas] is one of the big frauds of Madrid. The second is Raul. The two biggest frauds at Madrid are first Raul and then Casillas.

"Raul is a bad person. He thinks Madrid is his and he uses everything there is in Madrid, developing everything for his own benefit. Him and his agent. They are to blame for Madrid not doing well."

In a statement on Real Madrid's website, Perez has responded to the leaked recordings, saying the matter is now in the hands of his lawyers.

"The published quotes were part of conversations secretly recorded by Mr. José Antonio Abellan, who has been trying to sell the recordings for many years without any success," he said.

"I find it surprising that they have been published today by El Confidencial, despite the time that has elapsed.

"They are isolated quotes that were part of conversations and have been taken out of the wider context in which they were made."