Fabio Coentrao has said that he can’t understand why he was the media’s ‘ugly duckling’ when he played for Real Madrid.
The left back spent four years in the Spanish capital after signing from Portuguese side Benfica. He left on a loan deal this summer for Monaco in the French league.
While his Los Blancos career started brightly, Coentrao eventually slipped behind Marcelo in the pecking order at the Santiago Bernabeu. Last campaign, he made just nine appearances.
Speaking to Madrid-based daily Marca, the Portugal international said that he felt singled out by the Spanish media and couldn’t understand why he received plenty of criticism but few plaudits.
Asked by the paper whether he thought the treatment by the press was unfair, Coentrao stated: “Honestly? Yes, I think they were. I feel as though they never gave me the benefit of the doubt.
“If I had a bad game, they attacked me immediately. If I played well, they gave it very little recognition. Even today, I still ask myself why I was the media’s ugly duckling?”
Prior to leaving this summer, Coentrao had long been linked with a move away in previous transfer windows, with the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Benfica all interested in him at various points.
