Pundit Troy Deeney has slammed Portugal talisman Cristiano Ronaldo, following their FIFA World Cup opener against DR Congo. Deeney has said that the legendary forward has lost the aura that once made him untouchable. This criticism comes after the Selecao’s disappointing 1-1 draw against tournament debutants DR Congo in Houston on June 17 (ET).
The former Watford striker felt the striker’s selfishness was actually working against his team, especially when compared to Lionel Messi’s first FIFA World Cup hat-trick. He said on CBS Sports Golazo:
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“But I think when you look at Portugal… Yes, at 41 years of age, oldest player, all of that great stuff. But the aura, the legend that is Ronaldo is not there anymore. And those players are still playing to him…
“Everybody else in football would just over it because you’d hear the call from Bruno Fernandes, Fernandes scores, it’s 2-1. I think with what happened with Messi yesterday scoring three, Ronaldo’s sole focus on ‘I have to score, it’s about me’ actually took away from the team today.”
Troy Deeney is talking about a big moment in the 68th minute when Francisco Conceicao cut the ball back into the box. Bruno Fernandes was right behind the legendary talisman, and was arguably in a better position to take the shot. However, Ronaldo went for glory himself, but the ball went wide.
He went at full tilt for 90 minutes but only managed three shot attempts and none on target. However, Roberto Martinez stood by his decision to keep the veteran on the pitch, insisting it made no sense to take off the best goalscorer in world football in a game that needed goals.
Cristiano Ronaldo takes light from Portugal teammates: Former defender on FIFA World Cup clash
Deeney was not the only voice to question the Portugal striker’s influence after the FIFA World Cup. Former France full-back Gael Clichy offered an equally pointed analysis on the BBC. He explained that such a legendary footballer’s magnitude can influence the behaviour of those around him, even if that is not the intention (via BBC):
“We said at the beginning of the game that Ronaldo will be helping young players because of his character and experience, but sometimes unconsciously those kinds of players can kind of take too much light.”
Crucially, Clichy said it was not the talismanic forward’s fault and called it a natural consequence of his stature. He said the responsibility lies with the manager, who has to decide whether Portugal’s FIFA World Cup squad works better with or without such a dominant personality.
Edited by Nnanna Mba