Former Bareclona president Joan Laporta believes that Cristiano Ronaldo is under "a lot of pressure" following the Real Madrid forward's recent outburst.

The Portuguese recently stated that he was unhappy with life at the Santiago Bernebeu which brought him in for some fierce criticism.

However, Laporta has defended Ronaldo, claiming that the former Manchester United man is only saying what he feels.

"It's not easy to speak up and say how you feel when you're clearly under a lot of pressure," said Laporta.

"Everyone is going over the top on him. We must understand he's under a lot of pressure and is human, because we all are affected by everything around us.

"He said something without realising the impact it would make. That's happened to me as well in the past. Cristiano is a great professional."

Ronaldo signed for Madrid in 2009 for a world-record breaking £80m.