Manuel Jose, former Sporting Lisbon coach has slammed Cristiano Ronaldo, saying the legendary footballer is selfish and greedy for money.
According to him, there would be a breath of fresh air in the Portugal national team if Cristiano Ronaldo decides to retire, which according to him is overdue.
Former Portugal coach, Fernando Santos reduced the influence of Ronaldo in the Portuguese national team during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar by notably leaving the forward on the bench for the team’s knockout games.
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Santos was sacked after the World Cup following Portugal’s defeat to Morocco and with Roberto Martinez now in charge, Ronaldo has been reinstated into the starting XI.
The 38-year-old marked the start of the Spaniard’s tenure by bagging four goals in two matches in the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Luxembourg.
However, Jose reckons the new manager should make the former Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United star realize he is no longer the Ronaldo of old.
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He also claimed that Ronaldo has forgotten his roots and must realize he must be humble while representing his country and the fact that he is no longer a young player.
“It’s impressive, but Cristiano has forgotten his origins,” he told Record.
“He doesn’t know how to finish his career. It’s money and more money. ‘Fresh air’ would be if they took Ronaldo out of the national team.
“He has a dollar sign in each eye, and Bruno Fernandes just told the truth and put him in his place.
“Now he has an ego the size of the world and he only thinks about himself and no one else.
“On the field, it’s him, then him and then him again. He still hasn’t been able to understand how old he is, that he is playing in a peripheral league and that he is no longer the Ronaldo of old times,” he stated.
