Rio Reacts | Ronaldo Statement

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1:25Yes, guys, this is Rio Reacts and we're here. How can we not react to the statement that Cristiano Ronaldo has put out? This isn't the way that we see his career ending with his national team. After what he's done with the national team, the amount of goals, the impact that he's had, become an icon among icons, the biggest Portuguese name ever. And this isn't the way to go out, man. I mean, listen, we've all seen the statement. I think the key point is that that he planned to retire. That's a bombshell there. He planned to retire. This is for all the people that were saying, oh, Ronaldo just keeps on going.

1:57Why doesn't he just step down? He says he's actually written a letter to the Portuguese fans and the team and the president saying he was going to retire from international football. But he was asked to stay on by the president and the federation. They wanted him to stay on. And he said, right, OK, if you want me to stay, I'll stay. But I think this is quite a... for all the haters of Ronaldo and the people that try and like throw stones at him when you think like guy's done so much just like trust that he's he's yes he's got an ego I think he'd tell you that himself but he's not stupid and the fact that he said he wanted to retire in this the World Cup says a lot about him his humility and I think puts to bed a lot of the people that you're saying oh he's he's it's all about him and he just wants to be the guy that wants to play all the time regardless of what no he offered to retire he was going to walk away from national team as much as he loves it the statement you can see the passion he has for the national team you'd go further for the national team than any club team that he paid for he says that in his statement but they persuaded him to reconsider and he'd done that he continued he backed the manager George uh George Jair Jesus who he actually helped get the role up at Al Nassar where they won the league together and then he was asked his opinion on the next manager and he back George Jesus again to get the national team manager and like he says that the manager initially made him like central to his plans and that he was going to be a big big part of going forward with the national team as usual um and he I think between them he was saying and suggesting that they'd laid out a plan for him and the way that he plays recovery and the amount of game time he's going to get.

3:45A key part of it as well, Ronaldo rejecting special treatment, he said in his statement. Again, for a lot of the naysayers and the negativity that surrounds Ronaldo at times, I think that's pushback from the horse's mouth. He doesn't want to be treated differently. They offered him to stay at home for two of the games, he said, and he said, no, no, no, I'm the captain. I need to be present. I need to set the right example. These are the traits that I know, but there's a different narrative that's been put out there for years now about Cristiano. And he's a team guy and he wants to be part of the team.

4:17Yes, he wants to be the guy that wins the game. But also behind the scenes, he doesn't want to feel like he's being treated absolutely special. I don't think that would sit well with him. And again, it's a great nudge to young players. Yes, you're the captain. Yes, you're the best player. Yes, you're the top goalscorer. But be humble around your teammates and be part of the team and stay part of that team. and that's what he's shown that he wanted to do. I think where it broke down was the Norway match. They'd agreed that he'd come on for 30 minutes and he warmed up for 45 minutes in that second half and didn't come on.

4:51That's a communication issue. I said it on Rio Presents earlier in the week. I'm sure this is before the statement came out. It's a communication issue and the manager hasn't gone along with it. And I think things can change. Games can determine different outcomes and different decision-making during the game for the manager. but just relay that information to a player. You know how emotional someone like Cristiano is and how much his pride is massive. He's got a big ego. So you've got to work accordingly around certain people like that. And it just hasn't worked that way, man. It's been, it hasn't been good.

5:22And I think Cristiano, I think one of the pleasing things about his statement is he acknowledged that he feels that he made a mistake and he would have handled things differently if he had it again. Walking away, walking out after. He reacted badly afterwards. He acknowledges that.

5:37but he realizes it was his responsibility to attack the right way but again a big point I think the managers admitted privately that he'd made a mistake in the way that he'd handled things and I think Cristiano wanted the manager to come out and acknowledge that and just to make sure he put that right because he sees all the comments and all the narratives that surround it and it looks like it's all Cristiano and it's all Cristiano's doing when if there's promises made between two men whoever breaks that promise the other one says right that's not me and that's Cristiano and I think that the fact that Cristiano is saying I never demanded minutes I've never demanded certain game time he just wanted respect and it wasn't afforded to him so

6:20I think the manager agreed to Cristiano from what he said in his statement that he shouldn't he shouldn't have made him warm up and then not go on especially when he've agreed because of his fitness and the way that he rehabilitates himself around games and recovers. To have someone at 40-something years of warming up for 30 minutes and then not bringing money is wild. It's quite a crazy thing, regardless of who it is. But I think the manager breaking promise is a hard one to come back from. I don't know how Ronaldo comes back into the fold. Unless there's a public apology from the manager, accepting all responsibility in this, I don't see Cristiano coming back in.

6:52It's going to be difficult unless he just comes in for one game and then a last game not be sold with Messi. And I think that the public attitude of aggressiveness from the manager was the final straw. That was the final straw, I think, with Cristiano. He'd taken a couple of the going back on words, but when he saw the public kind of aggressiveness and being authoritarian, et cetera, I think Cristiano said, what's the need for this? And I think he reiterates in the statement, I actually helped getting the job at Andersar. I actually helped I actually backed him to get the job at the national team and he knows his word carries weight so and this is how you treat me and this is how you want to go on you want to you don't want to play by the rules and the agreements that we made behind closed doors with other people present he was saying but it's crazy man I think he's apologised to his teammates he apologised to the supporters he says the Portuguese FA should punish him and they shouldn't give him preferential treatment.

7:58And listen, that's the Cristiano that I know. And also, I think that he's obviously, there's been talk of farewell matches and those discussions will be ongoing. But whether he comes back for one final game or he continues to play for the national team in a competitive matches, this is a story that's not finished. This isn't the end of the book, I don't think. Will he get his thousandth goal in a Portugal shirt? Seems highly unlikely now.

8:27Wow, it is a crazy thing though how such a thing that can be solved with just good communication skills can get so out of hand and it isn't really and I think that's the narrative that needs to be stopped right now it isn't really Ronaldo has dropped and he stormed out that is the narrative that's been going on Ronaldo has dropped and he stormed out that's not the truth if we go by what Kushan have said in his statement and I don't see him he's not a liar he's not going to go public like that when he's not telling the truth. His argument is that Jesus repeatedly gave him his word like privately and then behaved differently in the air of the public in press conferences.

9:09That was the final straw for Cristiano.

9:20I think when you read between the lines as well I think Cristiano He accepts that the manager is the manager who makes the decisions. But when you agree something privately, what he says he cannot accept is that when you're told something privately and you do another publicly, their draw is alive. That's not right, but they're like a respect there. And he won't accept that. And I respect these decisions. Maybe you could have handled it differently. But when you're in the heat of things, it's hard to see things clearly, man. And so I think if he looks back in this in a year's time, he'll probably go, I probably could have done this and that different.

9:57If I was him, if I was Cristiano, I probably would have gone with a clearer mind looking at it without all the emotion that he's got growing through his veins at the time is to go, right, say what you've got to say publicly. I've watched what you said now a couple of times. You've gone back on your word. Can I just hold a press conference? Because if Cristiano Ronaldo goes, guys, I need a press conference. It happens and everyone's there. There'll be people inundating, can't get in the door. Sit there and say, listen, this is what happened. I'm now going to step away. because I feel disrespected.

10:23The manager is acting very differently in front of you guys to what he is with me. We've agreed certain things privately and he's disregarding them in front of you guys. So I can't stand this. I can't accept this. I am the captain. Apologies to the fans. Apologies to the players and the federation. But this needs to be resolved and it's not going to happen overnight. So I'll step away from this before I disrupt the squad. Good luck, guys. That would have been a better way to do it. But it's easy to say that with hindsight. out so I think the big defining central message of what Cristiano was saying with this was listen guys manager you can drop me you can drop me you can tell me like I'm no longer wanted I'm no longer needed in a national team but just tell me the truth just tell me to my face I'm a big enough guy, been through a lot, seen a lot.

11:17Just tell me to my face. Have that respect and we can move on. And it's refreshing to see that come out. And I think I have to give Cristiano credit for coming out so swiftly with a statement to really kind of put all the narratives to one side and say, this is the story. And now we'll see what the Federation say. We'll see what the manager says of Portugal and see how they react to this. Well, I bet you bottom dollar, I'm not going to come out and say Cristiano is lying because he's not that type of guy. So, I think it's a significant part of this is that he's not announcing his retirement from Portuguese football and the Portuguese national team.

11:55It's quite the opposite. I think he's left the door open. I think he's left it open for them to decide, do you want me to play one last game and celebrate me or do you want me to continue playing because you feel I'm needed and I can still have an impact? You decide. But after his punishment. So, he'll be hurting inside. He worked well to let the fans down. he's played far too many games to ruin his relationship with the fans and to ruin his reputation with one incident but he doesn't want it to be tarnished I can tell

12:25he's had a breather he's accepted his wrongdoings and he's part in it that he could have done better and he would do better if he had it again it's good to see that and I think this is good for young people to accept sometimes when you might have made a mistake yeah you're right on one side but also accept the mistake you may have made and it's good for young guys to see that because some people are wrong and strong. It's nice to see if someone of East stature who could be that and get aware of it and he could have sway for people's opinion because he's so big. But he's actually gone, no, no, I was wrong in a certain area, but, and he goes on to explain.

12:58But, I don't know, man. I think it's a, I think if there's acceptance and there's responsibility taken on the other side from the manager and the federation that there was wrongdoings on their part and there's an apology, I think Cristiano will be humble enough to say, okay, guys, shake hands. Let's get past this. Let's get back to what we want, which is Portugal to win something. And I think that he'll be humble enough to do that. But I think he'll need an apology. He'll need a conversation behind closed doors and he'll need something publicly to make that happen. But this is a good insight into what Cristiano is like.

13:34Again, that's leadership. Don't let things fester. Come out, hit it straight on and be honest, be truthful. accept responsibility if you've done anything wrong, but also punch home what you believe was wrongdoing to yourself. So let's see how this plays out, guys. We'll be back with Rio Reacts, I'm sure, soon, and we'll be reacting to this and many other things going on. So make sure you stay tuned as well. Rio Meats coming out this week. Great, great interview. Ex-Money United player and one of the current squads, or the recent squads. Do not miss it. Some great comparisons of players and also some of the players that he's played with and the insights he gives us.

14:12Woohoo! Anyway, take care. See you later, guys. Peace.