World Cup winner accused of ‘disrespecting’ Cristiano Ronaldo by former Man Utd teammate

A former Manchester United player has accused a World Cup champion of showing disrespect towards Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo, undoubtedly one of the greatest footballers in history, has achieved nearly every accolade possible while playing for some of the world’s most renowned clubs.

With five Ballon d’Or awards to his name, Ronaldo’s exceptional career would have garnered even more accolades if not for the presence of Lionel Messi. Despite his impressive achievements, recent public sentiment has begun to turn against him in certain circles.

In today’s football landscape, where high-intensity pressing is the norm and players are expected to contribute across the pitch, Ronaldo has faced criticism for his perceived lack of defensive effort.

This critique became evident during his second season back at Manchester United, where he struggled to adhere to Erik ten Hag’s pressing instructions.

Furthermore, during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Ronaldo, who had recently parted ways with Manchester United, was dropped from Portugal’s starting lineup after three lackluster performances, leading to an improvement in the team’s performance.

Some argue that Portugal’s coach, Roberto Martinez, should bench Ronaldo if the team hopes to succeed in the upcoming Euro 2024 tournament in Germany. However, former Manchester United striker Louis Saha disagrees with this sentiment.

Speaking to OLBG, Saha criticized former Manchester United and France defender Frank Leboeuf for what he viewed as disrespectful comments towards Cristiano Ronaldo. “I heard Frank Leboeuf say that Portugal can’t win with Cristiano Ronaldo,” Saha stated.

“I think it’s disrespectful. While it’s fair to express doubts about Portugal’s chances with or without him, outright claiming they can’t win the competition is overly harsh.

” Saha acknowledged concerns about Ronaldo’s attitude and the potential impact of being benched due to his strong personality but argued that dismissing Ronaldo’s talent and ability to elevate his teammates is unfair.

Ronaldo holds the record for Portugal’s all-time leading goal-scorer, with an impressive 128 goals in 206 appearances. Portugal is set to compete against Czechia, Turkey, and Georgia in Group F at Euro 2024.