Vinhadas to Kooora: Ronaldo must be treated like everyone else, and his crisis resembles what happened with Salah

Portugal's former coach believes Messi's personality spared him the crises Ronaldo faced

Nelo Vingada, the former Portugal manager, believes Cristiano Ronaldo does not deserve "special treatment" as the team's captain, drawing a parallel between his bust-up with Jorge Jesus and the clash between Egypt captain Mohamed Salah and his manager Hossam Hassan.

Ronaldo caused a major stir in Portugal when he walked out of the national team camp last Wednesday, ahead of the match against Denmark in the UEFA Nations League. He was protesting at not featuring against Norway, as well as Jesus's fiery remarks that he was "the one who has the first and last say in the line-up".

"Both were at fault"

Jesus had promised Ronaldo he would play against Norway, and even asked him to warm up in the second half. That went on for around 30 minutes, yet the player never came on.

Was Jesus wrong to treat his captain this way? Vingada told Kooora in exclusive comments: "When we face a crisis of this magnitude, my view and my experience tell me that both parties bear responsibility, and that something was done wrongly."

"What we know is that the manager said Ronaldo would play for 25 or 30 minutes," he added. "From my point of view, it is difficult and not good to make such promises, because no one knows what can happen during a match."

The 73-year-old went on: "The problem is that Ronaldo kept warming up for 30 minutes, and the manager did not bring him on, nor did he even say a simple word to him."

Vingada also pointed the finger at Ronaldo, stating: "When he left the pitch (angrily), it was certain that a big problem would arise. Therefore, both parties bear responsibility, given their positions. And both took steps that led to the confrontation."

No exceptions in the national team

Does Ronaldo deserve special treatment given his long history? Vingada explained: "Ronaldo, as a player and a captain, bears greater responsibilities, but in the end he must be treated like the others."

Yet he qualified that: "But of course, he deserves, not special treatment, but a different relationship, given his standing and everything he has delivered."

Then came the question of Arturo Vidal's remarks, in which the former Chile star said "Ronaldo has the right to do as he pleases". The veteran Portuguese manager hit back: "This is the opinion of someone who also wanted to get special privileges when he was a player."

Vingada, who led Portugal for six months in 1993, continued: "Great players and stars must be an example to others. On a professional level, no one can criticise Ronaldo or diminish what he has delivered. As for me, I see that Arturo Vidal is not offering a good analysis of the situation."

"Ronaldo is no longer what he was"

Press reports suggested Jesus was considering a public apology to Ronaldo. Vingada responded: "I will talk about what I would have done had I been in Jesus's position. In the past I was head coach of all the age groups of the national teams, and I sometimes faced some problems or differences of opinion over certain situations."

Having previously coached Egypt's Zamalek and Morocco's Wydad, the manager continued: "I believe that immediately after what happened between Jesus and Ronaldo, had the two sat down and spoken alone, they could have avoided this very big problem."

Is Ronaldo now a burden on Portugal? Vingada explained: "Ronaldo now, of course, plays in a different way from before. He has more experience, but he has become less quick. Therefore, it is important to extract from him the best he can offer. And I believe that had both parties spoken frankly and openly, they could have avoided this situation."

"Messi avoided Ronaldo's trap"

On the contrast between how Lionel Messi bade farewell to Argentina and Ronaldo to Portugal, Vingada added: "Messi was always low-profile and had a different personality. His limited presence on social media also spared him many potential problems."

He finished his comments to Kooora by saying: "Now, Messi and the people around him have made a good decision in giving him a wonderful farewell from the national team. Unfortunately, even if things improve for Ronaldo at this stage, it will not be at the same level."

"Ronaldo and Salah are living the same crisis"

Comparing the situations of Ronaldo and Salah, Vingada "does not see a big difference".

The former technical director of the Egyptian Football Association explained: "We have two great players and two wonderful people, living similar circumstances, and the personalities of Hossam Hassan and Jorge Jesus are similar in the same way."

Salah left the Egypt national team camp after the match against Angola, objecting to being substituted after 60 minutes, as well as Hossam Hassan's remarks against the injured goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy, according to Egyptian reports.

Hassan insisted Salah would return for the friendly against South Africa, and that his absence from the match against South Sudan was to avoid playing on "artificial grass". But the Trabzonspor star travelled to Turkey to join his club's training, lending weight to reports of a dispute with the Egypt manager.

Vingada signed off his comments to Kooora with a hope: "I hope everyone learns from what happened here in Portugal, and that it is not repeated anywhere else. Football, and these wonderful players, must always remain in our memory for all the exceptional things they have delivered on the pitch."