Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel believes Cristiano Ronaldo has tainted his legacy by walking out of Portugal’s national team camp but insists the forward deserves to be celebrated for his contributions to football.
Ronaldo attracted criticism after leaving the national team during the last international break following a disagreement with new coach Jorge Jesus.
The 41-year-old had accused the former Benfica coach of lying and disrespecting him after being dropped for Portugal’s UEFA Nations League match against Norway last month.
Ronaldo has since apologised, while the Portuguese Football Federation has issued a suspension.
Speaking on his Obi One Podcast, Mikel condemned the forward’s decision to leave the national team, arguing that such behaviour was particularly unacceptable from a captain who serves as a role model to others.
Mikel said: “The last thing you will do is to walk out of your national team or your football club as a captain, as someone everybody looks up to.
“It just takes away everything you stand for. I do not care what deal he had with the manager or not.”
The former Chelsea midfielder also defended Jesus, stressing that a manager’s primary responsibility is to win matches and that agreements over playing time can change depending on the team’s needs.
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Despite his criticism, Mikel maintained that Ronaldo’s achievements throughout his career should be recognised as the five-time Ballon d’Or winner approaches the latter stages of his playing days.
He said: “We should be celebrating Cristiano Ronaldo now towards the end of his career.
“He has given so much to football. Even if you are not a Cristiano Ronaldo fan, you cannot deny what he has done for the game.”
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