Dani Alves has criticised Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos for his behaviour towards Sevilla fans but the ex-Barcelona defender insists his personal rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo while in LaLiga was largely a media creation.

Alves left Barcelona after eight seasons and 23 titles last year to join Juventus and he returns to Champions League action when the Serie A leaders visit Porto for a last-16 clash on Wednesday.

Like Ramos, Alves also represented Sevilla earlier in his career and he felt the Spain defender could have handled back-to-back Copa del Rey and LaLiga games with his former employers last month in a more appropriate fashion.

Ramos gestured provocatively towards the home support at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan after he was subjected to jeers and other derogatory chants, prompting public statements from both clubs, and Alves identified the manner in which the 30-year-old left Sevilla for Madrid in 2005 as an understandable source of ongoing disquiet.

"I find it terrible to insult him but do not ask for what you do not give," he said.

"The problem is that days before going to Madrid, Ramos swore eternal love to Sevilla and that generated bitterness in a certain part of the fans. He is still a slave to that."

After Ramos left Sevilla, Alves remained at the club to collect two UEFA Cups, a UEFA Super Cup, Copa del Rey and a Supercopa de Espana.

"He did not make as much history in Sevilla as to not celebrate the goals or to ask for respect," the 33-year-old said. "I played there for six years and won many titles."

Alves' sharp tongue was part of the reason for an apparently simmering feud with Ronaldo as the duo battled on either side of the Clasico divide.

The Brazil international accused Ronaldo of being overly fond of the limelight, culminating in the Portugal star snubbing him at the 2015 Ballon d'Or gala, but he insists these remarks were taken out of context.

"All my fights with Cristiano were because of the press," Alves said. "If people only knew how much I respect Cristiano Ronaldo. I will repeat it to make myself clear: I respect Cristiano Ronaldo. 

"Everyone tells me what a fantastic professional he is. As for CR7, it's different, he was my rival and I had to compete with him. 

"When I said he always wanted the limelight, that meant when you win you are going to be the star but when you lose they will go for you. I said it in a very respectful way. 

"And I think the same of [Lionel] Messi or Neymar. My thoughts were not negative. What happens is that the press sold them differently, saying that I had spoken ill of him and Ronaldo believed it. That's why he did not greet me at the Ballon d'Or gala in 2015."