Hamann criticizes Ronaldo as a brake for Portugal after dispute
During the international break, former German international Didi Hamann told Sky Sport that Cristiano Ronaldo has lately been more of a brake than a drive for the Portuguese national team, after the dispute with coach Jorge Jesus culminated in Ronaldo's departure from the squad.
Dispute between Ronaldo and Jorge Jesus
The long‑time superstar, a 234‑cap Portuguese international and now a 41‑year‑old attacking star, left the team after a heated dispute with the 72‑year‑old national coach Jorge Jesus escalated. The conflict culminated after a 30‑minute warm‑up and a missed substitution, after which Ronaldo left the team.
Since then there has been a constant back‑and‑forth of mutual arguments: Jesus clarifies his position, while CR7 levels serious accusations. The coach emphasized: “I have not just one player, but 23.”
Hamann's sharp analysis
Hamann, now an analyst at Sky, criticised the influence of the 41‑year‑old attacking star and said: “I have always looked forward to Portugal because they have fantastic players. And it is such that, in my opinion, they would have had a better chance in the last three tournaments if Ronaldo had not been in the starting eleven.”
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He added: “If a player then misses the moment to step down or resign, then someone else must make that decision for him. The coach has now made that decision, for me it was overdue.”
The statements divide the fans: on one side, supporters of Hamann agree, seeing the coach as acting correctly; on the other side, Ronaldo’s followers defend the superstar as the untouchable nonplusultra of Portuguese football.
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The topic is being intensely discussed in the media; even the photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/GettyImages is frequently used in reports. Hamann’s clear words underline that the national team will now continue with 23 players, without the former record scorer.