- Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel criticised Cristiano Ronaldo over his decision to walk out of the Portugal national team camp
- Mikel made the remarks on his ObiOne Podcast, saying Ronaldo's exit sets a bad example for players who look up to him
- Portugal's Football Federation has since opened disciplinary proceedings against Ronaldo, with a suspension of up to six months possible
Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has said Cristiano Ronaldo damaged his own legacy by walking out of the Portuguese national team camp, even as he acknowledged that the 41-year-old deserves to be celebrated for his contributions to football.
Speaking on his ObiOne Podcast, the former Chelsea midfielder said no player of Ronaldo's stature should abandon a national team or club, regardless of any disagreement with management.
Source: Getty Images
"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 don't care what deal he had with the manager or not," Mikel spoke on his ObiOne podcast..
What led to Ronaldo's walkout
Ronaldo left the Portuguese camp early during the last international break after a falling-out with new head coach Jorge Jesus.
The Al-Nassr forward was dropped for Portugal's UEFA Nations League fixture against Norway and subsequently accused Jesus, the former Benfica coach, of lying to him and failing to show him proper respect.
He has since issued an apology and offered his explanation for the departure.
Mikel pushed back on Ronaldo's claim that he had an agreement with Jesus over his playing time, arguing that a manager's primary obligation is to win matches, not honour prior arrangements with individual players.
"A manager is there to win football matches. And they won football matches without you. What he's done now, I think he's just tainted his legacy a little bit because now he's come out; he's apologised, and the Portuguese FA is saying they might look at maybe suspension," Mikel added.
Portugal opens disciplinary case against Ronaldo
The Portuguese Football Federation has since launched disciplinary proceedings against Ronaldo, Al Jazeera reports.
Under federation regulations, a player who abandons national team activity faces a ban of between one and six months.
Ronaldo, who has made 234 appearances for Portugal and scored 146 international goals, said he still wants to continue representing his country.
Portugal has UEFA Nations League matches against Denmark and Wales scheduled for next month.
Despite his pointed criticism, Mikel was careful to separate Ronaldo's recent behaviour from his overall contribution to the game.
"We should be celebrating Cristiano Ronaldo now towards the end of his career. We shouldn't be talking about this. He's given so much to football. Even if you are not a Cristiano Ronaldo fan, you cannot deny what he's done for the game," he said.
Ronaldo makes decision on Portugal future
Legit.ng previously reported about Ronaldo’s decision to remain available for Portugal after leaving the team’s camp amid a row with head coach Jorge Jesus.
The 39-year-old is international football’s all-time leading scorer, but reports suggest his return could lead to one final farewell appearance—or more games in a Portugal shirt.
Source: Legit.ng
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