At a time when his popularity ratings have never been lower in his own country, Cristiano Ronaldo has decided to speak out. The Portuguese star spoke his mind and didn’t hesitate to put certain journalists in their place.
It’s not just France that will need to show character to reach the Nations League semi-finals. Beaten 1-0 by Denmark on Thursday, the Portuguese will also need to show a more conquering face tomorrow night in Lisbon to try to turn the tide of history. In Portugal, the culprits have been identified after the rout in Copenhagen, with Cristiano Ronaldo leading the way, as is often the case.
It will take more than that to destabilize the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who has shown throughout his career that he has a tough enough hand to withstand any kind of criticism. If that weren’t the case, he would certainly have already announced his international retirement after the last Euro, when the Portuguese press blamed him for the elimination. Tonight, CR7 decided to speak at a press conference, at a time when his popularity ratings have surely never been lower in his own country.
He is now ready to play a less prominent role.
“If I had to not play to win the match tomorrow against Denmark, I would sign immediately. I will defend the colors of Portugal until I die,” he initially stated, while Roberto Martinez was publicly criticized for not having the courage to bench him. “I am only focused on the idea of defending the emblem of my country until I die, as always.” “I will be happy if we win tomorrow and another teammate scores,” he added.
“The criticism targets everyone: players, staff, managers… We’re all in the same boat. No one is immune. Now we have to think positively and calm down. But I’d like to take this opportunity to say that I didn’t appreciate the negative atmosphere surrounding the national team and that I even find some of the questions asked disrespectful (…) Tactically, it didn’t work at all, I played badly, and so did the team. But in your career as a journalist, you’ve also had to ask questions that weren’t relevant. It’s part of life… We’re not computers. And tomorrow, I want to leave Alvalade with my head held high.” His supporters too.
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