Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal squad is facing talk of a possible ‘civil war’ after claims the 41-year-old was sabotaged by his team-mates during their 1-1 draw with DR Congo.
Ronaldo failed to register a shot on target against the side 40 places below Portugal in the FIFA rankings, while manager Roberto Martinez has faced criticism for refusing to substitute the struggling forward amid claims he is ‘scared’ of Ronaldo.
Following the match, vitriolic accusations were also aimed at Ronaldo’s team-mates from his zealous fanbase – including from his sister, Katia Aveiro – alleging a plot to edge the ageing forward out of the game.
Aveiro – who only yesterday liked an Instagram post from a football fan account accusing Fernandes of failing to deliver in a Portugal shirt by comparing him to under-fire Brazilian star Raphinha – also criticised the side for ‘passing backwards’.
She wrote: ‘Magically, they forgot how to: pass the ball; win it back; launch counter-attacks. The game became all about passing backwards in midfield… strange World Cup. Very strange.’
And prominent Portuguese sports journalist, Vitor Pinto, is now claiming that the situation is at risk of unfolding into a full-blown civil war within the squad.
Ronaldo failed to register a shot on target against the side 40 places below Portugal in the FIFA rankings, while manager Roberto Martinez has faced criticism for refusing to substitute him
Accusations were aimed at Ronaldo’s team-mates from his zealous fanbase – including from his sister, Katia Aveiro (above) – alleging a plot to edge the ageing forward out of the game
‘Magically, they forgot how to: pass the ball; win it back; launch counter-attacks. The game became all about passing backwards in midfield… strange World Cup. Very strange,’ she said
‘It demonstrates the risk of a civil war within the national team,’ he said. ‘There is a reaction to any criticism levelled at Cristiano Ronaldo, and that is where much of the polarisation comes from.
‘I do not believe there was any boycott against Cristiano Ronaldo – let’s make that clear from the start.
‘I repeat, there was no organised boycott against Cristiano Ronaldo within the national team. However, it is true that Portugal did not communicate effectively with their centre-forward, nor did they employ a strategy in which the striker created space for others to break through the defence and finish.’
Since the match against DR Congo wrapped up, Fernandes, Vitinha, Joao Neves and Pedro Neto have seen their Instagram posts inundated with claims they intentionally sabotaged Ronaldo during the match.
Neves has also come under fire for his post-match comments, in which he claimed Ronaldo is ‘no different’ from any other player in the squad.
‘We know what Cristiano has done for us, for our national team, and for the world of football. But at this moment, he and we know that he is no different,’ Neves said.
‘He is just another player here to help. He is no different from the others. He is here to contribute, just like all of us.’
Soon after his comments went viral, Ronaldo fans flooded the comment section of Neves’ Instagram with negative reactions, including in his girlfriend, Madalena Aragao’s, recent posts.
Thierry Henry criticised Ronaldo for getting in the way of team-mate Bruno Fernandes, only for his shot to drift wide of the post
Despite his passionate fanbase, Ronaldo has been criticised by high-profile pundits, including by Thierry Henry, who claimed that the former Real Madrid star showed selfishness during the game.
‘The team needs to score, not you need to score,’ the former Arsenal and France striker said on Fox News.
Henry then highlighted a moment in which Ronaldo got in the way of team-mate Bruno Fernandes, only for his shot to drift wide of the post, while Fernandes appeared visibly frustrated as a result.
‘Cristiano Ronaldo has been in this situation multiple times. If you make that run here, you make the defender take a decision to go to the six-yard box,’ Henry said.
‘But because he wants to score, he goes into the path of Bruno Fernandes.
‘If he goes into the six-yard box, the defender would have had to follow him, a tap-in for Bruno Fernandes. But because he wants to score, he goes into the path of the back pass – you see both players and it’s easier for you to defend.
‘That’s my thing: the team needs to score, not you. You saw the reaction of Bruno Fernandes behind: “Let it roll. Make a run, create space so I can tap it in.” It didn’t happen.’
But the harshest criticism came from BBC 5 Live co-commentator Chris Sutton, who called Portugal boss Martinez an ’embarrassment’ for choosing to replace other players despite Ronaldo’s inability to positively influence his side.
Chris Sutton claimed Portugal manager Roberto Martinez was ‘scared’ of Ronaldo, and that is influencing his decisions on the pitch
‘That’s embarrassing from Roberto Martinez,’ Sutton said on BBC 5 Live’s coverage of the Group K match. ‘Are we all watching a different game? The game is passing Ronaldo by. Martinez is scared. He’s not the manager.’
Sutton then added on social media: ‘Embarrassingly weak from Roberto Martinez. He should have hooked Ronaldo off but he’s too scared of upsetting him. Ronaldo is essentially the manager of Portugal.’
Martinez responded to that criticism by insisting that it would have made ‘no sense’ to substitute the greatest goalscorer in Portuguese history when his country needed a goal.
‘We were finding it difficult because they were playing in a back six,’ Martinez argued.
‘And in a situation like that, you can use his qualities. It makes no sense to get a player like Cristiano out of the game where you need goals.
‘The straight line is not the quickest way. The way he attracts defenders and uses space is valuable. When you need goals, you need a player like Cristiano Ronaldo on the pitch.’
This summer’s tournament is expected to be Martinez’s final one at the helm, with a return to club football seeming likely. And reports emerging earlier this week have stated that the 52-year-old is in talks with Ronaldo’s Al Nassr over a potential cash-grab switch to the Middle East.
Portugal face Uzbekistan next Tuesday in their second group-stage game (6pm UK).
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