Renowned Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho has given his opinion in response to requests for Cristiano Ronaldo to retire from international football following a disappointing EURO 2024 campaign.
Prior to the tournament, many, including Chelsea legend Frank Leboeuf, questioned the 39-year-old’s inclusion in the squad as they believed he would offer little or nothing to the team; he was, however, a member of Roberto Martinez’s team and, in fact, a starter in all games.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s struggles with Portugal
Ronaldo has come under fire for his dismal performance at the European Championship, having failed to score a single goal throughout the campaign despite playing all five games as Portugal were eliminated in the quarterfinals by France.
Sports Buddy previously revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo has set an unwanted record in the European Championship, becoming the player with the highest shot-on-goal without scoring.
Another shocking statistic shows that Cristiano Ronaldo was officially the worst forward in the tournament, as previously revealed by Sports Buddy.
Jose Mourinho on ‘age’ in reference to Ronaldo’s situation
Following Portugal’s Euro 2024 exit, fans have called for the legend to retire from international football, and his former boss at Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho, has given his thoughts on the situation.
“For me it is not difficult to transition players out of the squad, because I do not look at player ages or status, I only look at what he can give me now, ” Mourinho said, in a video posted on X.
“If you can perform at a high-level today, you have to play, whether you are 16 like Yamal or 41 like Pepe.”
Mourinho’s comment may imply that Ronaldo’s past accomplishments do not guarantee him an automatic start in the team, given the 39-year-old’s poor performance in recent times.
