Former Liverpool defender John Arne Riise has said that Cristiano Ronaldo should retire from international football immediately. He recently had his say while speaking to the press, and fans have been reacting.
Expressing disappointment with how CR7 was accommodated in Portugal’s World Cup squad, Riise revealed that Ronaldo is actively hindering his nation’s progress because he is no longer capable of performing at the highest level.
John added that it is time for Cristiano to step aside and allow a new generation of Portuguese talent to take the mantle.
His words, “I know the Portugal coach loves Ronaldo, but I think the whole Ronaldo situation at this World Cup was quite sad.
At one point he wasn’t scoring, then he says he’s back after scoring a couple of goals, and then he disappears again. I don’t think Roberto Martínez managed the situation the right way. He should have shown a stronger hand and prioritised the team over the individual player.
I don’t think Ronaldo will be ready for the Euros, nor do I think he’s currently good enough to play for Portugal at that level.
He should call it a day internationally and hand over the opportunity to the younger players. Modern football is incredibly demanding physically; you need all 11 players running and fighting for the team, unless you are Messi. Ronaldo doesn’t do that anymore, and I think his inclusion weakens the Portuguese team rather than helping it.”
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro GOIH ComM is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Saudi Pro League club, Al Nassr and the Portugal national team.
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born on 5 February 1985 in the São Pedro parish of Funchal, the capital of the Portuguese island of Madeira, and grew up in the nearby parish of Santo António. He is the fourth and youngest child of Maria Dolores dos Santos Viveiros da Aveiro, who worked as a cook in the hospitality industry and a cleaning woman, and José Dinis Aveiro, a municipal gardener at the Junta de Freguesia of Santo António and part-time kit man for football club Andorinha.
Ronaldo’s move to Manchester United was completed on 12 August 2003, too late for the 2003 FA Community Shield but in time for their game against Bolton Wanderers on the opening day of the 2003–04 season, and made him the first Portuguese player to sign for the club.
Ahead of the 2009–10 season, Ronaldo joined Real Madrid for a world record transfer fee at the time of £80 million (€94 million). His contract, which ran until 2015, was worth €11 million per year and contained a €1 billion buy-out clause.
