Manchester United's assistant manager Carlos Queiroz has accused Premiership teams and fans of trying to intimidate and bully Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese winger is increasingly becoming the subject of derision from opposition fans, who claim Ronaldo is a major part of the diving culture which has enveloped the Premiership.
Yet Queiroz believes the problem is not Ronaldo's diving and is adamant his fellow Portuguese is the victim of aggressive tackling which would not be allowed anywhere else in Europe.
"I know in England, sometimes people do not like it when players fall too much," said Queiroz. "But on the continent, sometimes they do not like the way players tackle in England.
"You can see English teams suffering all the time in European games because referees do not accept the way they tackle. The tackle is one thing, the intimidation behind the tackle is another.
"When you put an attitude into the tackle and try to intimidate good players, it is not right and it happens a lot with Cristiano Ronaldo," Queiroz added.
"You see so many fouls and so much intimidation. It is not good for the game. Cristiano loses but football loses as well."
