Cristiano Ronaldo has found himself at the centre of an explosive Portugal row after warnings of a possible “civil war” emerged following his country’s disappointing World Cup draw with DR Congo.
Portugal’s opening Group K match was overshadowed by criticism of Ronaldo’s display, fierce social media backlash aimed at several team-mates and claims that divisions could begin to emerge within the camp.
The 41-year-old failed to register a shot on target during the 1-1 stalemate despite Roberto Martinez keeping his captain on the pitch for the full 90 minutes.
Martinez has since come under pressure for refusing to substitute Ronaldo, with some pundits suggesting the Portugal boss is reluctant to upset his veteran forward.
But the fallout has gone beyond criticism of the manager.
Ronaldo’s supporters have accused several Portugal players of deliberately failing to supply the striker against opponents ranked 40 places below them by FIFA.
The accusations have been amplified by the former Manchester United star’s sister, Katia Aveiro, who criticised Portugal’s approach in possession.
She wrote: “Magically, they forgot how to: pass the ball; win it back; launch counter-attacks. The game became all about passing backwards in midfield… strange World Cup. Very strange.”
Cristiano Ronaldo has found himself at the centre of an explosive Portugal row after warnings of a possible “civil war” emerged following his country’s disappointing World Cup draw with DR Congo
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GETTY
Cristiano Ronaldo was isolated from his teammates in Portugal’s 1-1 stalemate with DR Congo
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Prominent Portuguese journalist Vitor Pinto has now warned that the reaction to Ronaldo’s subdued display risks creating major tensions within the squad.
“It demonstrates the risk of a civil war within the national team,” he said.
“There is a reaction to any criticism levelled at Cristiano Ronaldo, and that is where much of the polarisation comes from.
“I do not believe there was any boycott against Cristiano Ronaldo – let’s make that clear from the start.
Five things to know about Cristiano Ronaldo | GETTY/GB NEWS
“I repeat, there was no organised boycott against Cristiano Ronaldo within the national team.
“However, it is true that Portugal did not communicate effectively with their centre-forward, nor did they employ a strategy in which the striker created space for others to break through the defence and finish.”
Since the match, Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, Joao Neves and Pedro Neto have reportedly seen their social media accounts inundated with comments accusing them of intentionally freezing Ronaldo out.
Neves also angered some supporters after insisting the five-time Ballon d’Or winner should be treated like any other member of the squad.
“We know what Cristiano has done for us, for our national team, and for the world of football,” he said.
“But at this moment, he and we know that he is no different.
“He is just another player here to help. He is no different from the others. He is here to contribute, just like all of us.”
Ronaldo has also been criticised by several former players.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal drew with DR Congo 1-1 on Wednesday
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Thierry Henry accused him of prioritising his own goalscoring ambitions during one attack involving Fernandes, while Chris Sutton labelled Martinez an “embarrassment” and claimed the Spaniard was “too scared” to take his captain off.
Martinez, however, defended his decision.
“We were finding it difficult because they were playing in a back six,” he said.
“It makes no sense to get a player like Cristiano out of the game where you need goals.
“When you need goals, you need a player like Cristiano Ronaldo on the pitch.”
Portugal return to action against Uzbekistan on Tuesday, knowing victory would significantly boost their hopes of reaching the knockout stages.
