A Portuguese official: in 50 years everyone will remember Ronaldo, not the coach
Ronaldo entered into an unprecedented dispute with Jesus
Miguel Albuquerque, president of the regional government of Madeira, sent a message of support to Cristiano Ronaldo, after the captain of the Portuguese national team left the squad's camp in Copenhagen yesterday, Wednesday.
Speaking on the sidelines of a public service event in the municipality of Câmara de Lobos, the official threw his weight firmly behind Ronaldo, insisting the player had fallen victim to "pettiness and empty talk", as quoted by the Portuguese newspaper "A Bola" .
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"Here in Madeira, we support Ronaldo," the president of the regional government said, hailing the global mark left by the Portuguese forward.
He added: "He is the most famous Portuguese in the world. Ronaldo is a player who promoted Portugal and raised its standing, throughout a career spanning more than 25 years. That is, he is one of the Portuguese who have honoured Portugal the most. Throughout these years he was the best player in the world, won everything that could be won, and made a huge contribution to the Portuguese national team."
"Empty talk"
On Ronaldo's early exit from the Denmark camp, Albuquerque spared no criticism for those he blamed for pushing the player into it.
He justified his stance, saying: "They must have annoyed him, and he did well, in fact", adding that "no one has the patience" to deal with "this pettiness and this empty talk aimed at belittling his achievement, and what he is".
Albuquerque conceded the striker "is not always right". Even so, he stressed that Ronaldo's legacy would hold firm with time, far from the noise of the present moment.
The president of the regional government of Madeira went on: "What matters at this moment is that Ronaldo preserves what he has always been: a first-class player, and a Portuguese who represented the country's name and showcased the country beyond its borders in a way no one else has done."
"After 30 years, no one will know who the coach was, no one will know who was in charge of the Portuguese national team, and no one will know who was commentating on the football, but everyone after 30, 40 and 50 years will know who Ronaldo is," he continued. "This is the difference between greatness and mediocrity."
"The Don" walked out of the national team camp after a dispute with his coach Jorge Jesus, who declined to field him in the recent Norway match and also stated that he would not include him today, Thursday, against Denmark, in the UEFA Nations League.
