It wasn’t a good week for Cristiano Ronaldo, and not just for the bad blow he remedied with Czech Republic goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik. A few weeks away from the World Cup in Qatar, the strongest player in the history of Portugal receives more and more criticism for his performances and many fans wonder if the Portuguese team is stronger without him.
Inside Portugal Talking about his exclusion is no longer a taboo compared to a few months ago and the home defeat against Spain has further widened the front of those who would like him a little more on the sidelines than his constant centrality in the national team.
The 37-year-old was heavily criticized and the main sports newspaper in ball ran a rather eloquent headline on the front page: “Less Ronaldo, more Portugal”, arguing that the lack of continuity with Manchester United this season does not guarantee his place as a starter in the national team.
Fernando Santos, however, is never deprived of the 37-year-old forward and criticism, especially after the last defeat and the failure to qualify for the Final Four of the League of Nations, is increasingly strong. Even some commentators on Portuguese TV, especially RTP3 specialist Tiago Fernandes, said: “Anyone can see that Ronaldo decides how many minutes he plays, you don’t have to be smart to see him.” Very heavy words that had never been used against the five-time Ballon d’Or champion in his country.
When asked about Ronaldo’s poor performance against Spain, the Portuguese coach replied at the press conference: “What interests me is how the team played. Ronaldo had three or four chances. Two very good chances, which he usually scores. He didn’t score, it’s football.”
They didn’t sound like the words of a man who was about to put aside his biggest star in recent years to make room for the new generations, but in Portugal they are increasingly convinced that if Fernando Santos really wants to see his team express itself as a collective, it should at least consider using less CR7. In turn, however, the footballer of Manchester United revealed that he wants to continue at least until Euro 2024.
We don’t know when, but the moment will come when Portugal will have to walk without its champion: many already believe that that day has arrived but, at least for now, whoever makes the decisions is not of the same idea.
Source: Fan Page IT
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
