The holding midfielder admitted that his former team-mate's absence wasn't the only reason for Real Madrid's disappointing performance.

Despite what Real Madrid's captain and other footballers said, the game between Los Blancos and Atlético Madrid was an example of how much the Spanish giants will miss Cristiano Ronaldo.

Los Blancos had to endure some harsh words by fans and experts after their poor display against Atlético, and holding midfielder Casemiro admitted that it was tough to play this game without the team's all-time top scorer around.

"We can't hide the facts: of course we missed Cristiano Ronaldo. Every team in the world would miss him. But we have to leave it behind. It hurts us deeply because it's the first game of the year," Casemiro stated.

The Brazilian midfielder added that this should not change how the team planned the season, especially since they have a new coach with different ideas.

"We have full confidence in our new boss. Making up excuses is not in Real Madrid's DNA. When you play here, you learn to share success and failure. Losing this title has to be a wake up call," Casemiro added.