FIFA World Cup: Ex-Manchester United defender sends stern message to benched Cristiano Ronaldo

Portugal fans were shattered after their star forward Cristiano Ronaldo was benched in the Round of 16 game against Switzerland. People all over the globe speculated the actual reason behind the legendary footballer being sidelined in the crucial fixture. While some thought manager Fernando Santos was unsatisfied with Ronaldo’s behaviour, others believed it to be the right decision from the team’s perspective. In this scenario, former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has waded into the controversy and took a dig at Ronaldo’s unnecessary display of arrogance in recent times.

While featuring in a discussion on ITV, Neville suggested that the Portuguese icon should keep his attitude in check. Ronaldo’s haughtiness has become the talking point since he left the ground following a substitution-related argument with United manager Erik Ten Hag during a Premier League game. Earlier, the same kind of dispute was reported during his days at Juventus.

Referring to the previous instances, Neville asserted, “What transpired at United was that Ten Hag was attempting to make a move on him at United, so he was trying to demonstrate his authority. However, Ronaldo and this manager [Santos> have had an extraordinary relationship for eight years.” Thus, he wondered how three managers could do a similar thing.

The former English footballer, who served the Red Devils for a short period alongside Ronaldo, acknowledged the fact that the 37-year-old has already achieved a long-term legacy. He stated that Ronaldo is still capable of making a match-winning strike. But according to Neville, this sort of incident can affect CR7’s remaining professional career. In this context, the football pundit made a stern remark suggesting, “the petulance, the stomping around, the sulking- it has got to stop because it doesn’t reflect well on him at all.”

Coming to the match, Portugal did not feel the absence of the iconic striker as they secured a dominating 6-1 win. The star was 21-year-old Goncalo Ramos who stepped into Ronaldo’s shoes in the match, announcing himself with a hat-trick on his World-Cup debut. Coming in late in the 73rd minute replacing Joao Felix, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner could not make any notable contribution despite some below-par attempts.

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