France World Cup winner Bixente Lizarazu has contended that both Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese Football Federation, PFF, and coach Jorge Jesus should all share the blame and controversies around the national team.
During an appearance on Telefoot, Lizarazu said Ronaldo’s tenure with the national team should not conclude in such an abrupt manner. He encouraged the 41-year-old to acknowledge his age and physical condition, notwithstanding his established reputation as an exceptional athlete.
“This represents a serious error on three fronts – the Portuguese Football Federation, Jorge Jesus, and Cristiano Ronaldo. It is untenable that a player of his caliber and significance to Portugal should depart under these circumstances,” he said as reported by O Jogo.
“This constitutes a catastrophe for the nation’s image. The challenge for an aging player, particularly one of Cristiano Ronaldo’s stature who has cultivated an image of invincibility, is accepting diminished strength and speed, which is unfortunately an inevitable reality.”
Lizarazu maintained that the football federation and Jesus should have engaged Ronaldo in collaborative decision-making and clarified why his playing time required management.
He further noted that the decision to withhold him from the second half while he was preparing for the Norway match represented a critical error by the coaching staff.
“Had there been dialogue among him, the coach, and the Federation to ensure positive outcomes, with the message: ‘You remain vital to me, but you will have a defined role in this match and others, allowing you adequate recovery time,’ the player would have been informed and understood his expectations clearly. Conversely, if he is promised playing time and does not enter the field, his confidence deteriorates.”
Lizarazu stated Ronaldo’s ego has pushed him to improve at every stage of his career, and he has reached a point where it has become his worst enemy. He said:
“It’s because there is the ‘I’ that he was Cristiano Ronaldo, because his ego made him work like crazy to beat all records. But you come to a certain point when that’s your worst enemy. It was your strength, but now it’s your worst enemy, because you’re at the age you are, and you’re going to the elephant cemetery.”