TheCable

Cristiano Ronaldo has told reporters that he will not speak to them again until the end of the season.

Ronaldo, who has set a new all-time record goal total in UEFA club competition with his 77th and 78th strikes against Schalke 04 on Tuesday, was left seething by Real’s 4-3 defeat to the German side at the Bernabeu.

The Champions League holders progressed into the quarter-finals of the competition by an aggregate 5-4 score line but only after yet another unconvincing display.

The Portugal international was captured by television cameras mouthing “disgrace” to Karim Benzema shortly before the end of the game.

After the game and amidst the apologies from players in post-match interviews, hopeful journalists gathered in the mixed zone, keen to get some positive comments from Ronaldo. But he marched straight past them and out the Bernabeu exit door.

“I’m not going to talk anymore until the end of the season,” he said.

The forward’s two first-half headers had helped keep Real’s hopes of a record-extending 11th European Cup title alive and took his tally in all European competition to a record 78 goals, surpassing Lionel Messi (76) and the former Real striker Raul (77).

Ronaldo headed in Madrid 25th-minute equaliser to draw level with Raul Gonzalez, who had topped the log since surpassing Filippo Inzaghi in October 2010.

The former Manchester United winger then added his second of the night – another equaliser – on the stroke of half-time to make it eight goals for the current campaign and eclipse the Spaniard.

It was also his 75th strike in the UEFA Champions League, group stage to final, taking him level with Lionel Messi as the elite competition’s joint top scorer.

UEFA club competition top scorers

78: Cristiano Ronaldo (Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid)

77: Raul Gonzalez (Real Madrid, Schalke 04)

76: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

70: Filippo Inzaghi (Parma, Juventus, AC Milan)

67: Andriy Shevchenko (Dynamo Kyiv, AC Milan, Chelsea)

62: Gerd Muller (Bayern Munich)

62: Ruud van Nistelrooy (Heerenveen, PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Hamburger)

59: Thierry Henry (AS Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona)

59: Henrik Larsson (Feyenoord, Celtic, Barcelona, Helsingborgs)

56: Eusebio (Benfica)

UEFA Champions League top scorers (group stage to final)

75 Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

75 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United/Real Madrid)

71 Raul González (Real Madrid/Schalke 04)

56 Ruud van Nistelrooy (PSV Eindhoven/Manchester United/Real Madrid)

50 Thierry Henry (AS Monaco/Arsenal/ Barcelona)