Cristiano Ronaldo’s circus leaving Man United engulfs Portugal

AL SHAHANIYA, Qatar — Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva tried my best to say all the right things. Speaking at Portugal’s first press conference since arriving in Qatar, and in front of a crowded media tent at Al Shahaniya Sports Club, City of Manchester the star has more than once emphasized that the fall from cristiano ronaldosensational interview with Piers Morgan, which led to Termination of “joint” contract with Manchester United, not distracting before their World Cup campaign. Finally, though, the mask slides.

“I don’t understand your persistence on this subject for nothing,” said Silva, wearing the expression of a man who had long since grown tired of questions. “It’s embarrassing to talk about this situation of Cristiano when we have a World Cup to play in.”

It is the same for Ruben Neves when he spoke the next day, with the Wolves midfielder wanting nothing more than his opinion that Ronaldo was in “extraordinary shape”.

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The interest around the 37-year-old striker was so great that when Silva arrived to speak, about 50 camera crews – all jostling each other to try to reach – had to be kept outside. Traditionally, captains would speak at pre-match press conferences 24 hours before the match, but instead Portugal decided to sneak Ronaldo in early Monday morning without telling the media. gathered in Qatar, to avoid media attention.

It is said that one of the first things he uttered was a plea for journalists to stop asking his teammates about the interview and the outrage it had caused. “Please, don’t ask the players about me, ask about the World Cup,” he said. “I talk when I want to.”

However, this is exactly the problem.

Sources have told ESPN that among many other issues with Morgan’s interview, United were angry at the time that the first pieces of information were revealed within hours of the full 2-1 win. their drama first Fulham and Alejandro GarnachoFirst Premier League goal. Sources inside the Portuguese camp also say that their star player’s decision to speak out just before the team met in Lisbon took many by surprise, despite the acceptance that after 191 appearances. pitch for the national team, he “does what he wants.”

But while that may be true off the pitch, attitudes towards his influence on the pitch are changing. Sources told ESPN that Ronaldo will start Portugal’s first match in Group H against gana on Thursday, but coach Fernando Santos was thinking of disqualifying him in their second game against Uruguay four days later. Santos still believes Ronaldo is Portugal’s best player “in the box”, but since he expected more in the game against Uruguay that will take place between the two penalty areas, so he is watching. consider other options.

– Where will Ronaldo go after leaving Man United?
– Ronaldo defends his interview: ‘I speak when I want’

In the past, it was almost unthinkable that Ronaldo, who started just four Premier League games for United this season before being hastily agreed to leave, was unable to start a game in a major league. big champion. It even got to the point that before that, Santos was asked in press conferences about being “forced” to choose Ronaldo, or whether Ronaldo really chose the team.

The longtime Portugal coach, who has been in charge since 2014, insists he has a “great relationship” with his star player, but leaving Ronaldo on the bench would send a The message is clear that Santos is choosing what he thinks is best for the team. rather than bowing to the request of any one individual. If nothing else, the days of thinking of the Portuguese team as “Ronaldo plus 10” are over.

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Cristiano Ronaldo defended the timing of his explosive interview ahead of Portugal’s opening World Cup match.

What hasn’t changed, however, is Ronaldo’s popularity. His image is regularly projected onto buildings in downtown Doha, and his face is plastered on billboards around the city’s train network promoting the main streaming platform. of the World Cup. On the opening day of Qatar, meet Ecuadora local man sitting at a table outside the cafe told his friend that he was desperate to find two tickets while the tournament was going on in town — “one to watch Lionel Messiand one to watch Ronaldo.”

The desire to catch a glimpse of Ronaldo also prompted some 300 people to make the 30-minute journey from central Doha to the Al Samriya Autograph Collection hotel on Friday night so they could wait for Portugal to arrive. It wasn’t until after midnight that the team bus showed up but the enthusiasm with which they were greeted was proof enough that the crowd thought it was worth it.

Ronaldo broke a record while in Qatar, becoming the first individual to surpass 500 million followers on Instagram. His appeal off the pitch is beyond doubt, but he arrives at the World Cup for the first time with questions – both inside and outside Portugal – about his influence on the national team. is positive or negative. In contrast, no similar debate took place in Argentina on whether they should pick Messi, despite the shock 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia.

Typically optimistic about his prospects, Ronaldo said on Monday he would be “surprised” if at his age he had anything left to prove. But a poor World Cup – and possibly his last – will add to the feeling that maybe, at this stage of his career, he doesn’t deserve the circus that comes with it. me. After more than a week of off-field headlines, it’s time for his football to speak.