Former Portugal manager Carlos Queiroz believes Cristiano Ronaldo should not receive "preferential treatment" and has drawn parallels between Ronaldo's conflict with Jorge Jesus and the dispute between Egypt captain Mohamed Salah and coach Hossam Hassan.

Ronaldo's departure from Portugal's training camp last Wednesday sparked significant controversy in the country. At the time, Portugal was preparing to face Denmark in the UEFA Nations League. Ronaldo's exit was a protest against not playing in the match against Norway and his frustration with Jorge Jesus's firm statement that he was "the sole and final decision-maker for team selection."

Jesus had previously promised Ronaldo playing time in the Norway match and actually brought him on to warm up in the second half. Ronaldo warmed up for approximately 30 minutes but was ultimately not sent onto the pitch.

When asked whether Jesus made a mistake in treating the Portuguese captain this way, Queiroz told Kooora in an interview: "Facing such a serious crisis, based on my observations and experience, both parties are responsible and both made mistakes."

He added: "What we know is that the coach said Ronaldo would play for 25 to 30 minutes. In my opinion, making such a promise is difficult and reckless, because no one knows what will happen during a match."

The 73-year-old coach continued: "The problem is that Ronaldo continued warming up for 30 minutes, and the coach didn't bring him on without even speaking to him."

On the other hand, Queiroz also criticized Ronaldo. He said: "When he leaves the field angry, it will certainly cause serious problems. Therefore, from both perspectives, both are responsible. Their actions pushed the conflict toward confrontation."

When asked whether Ronaldo deserved special treatment within the Portugal team given his long national team career, Queiroz explained: "As a player and captain, Ronaldo bears greater responsibility, but ultimately, he should be treated the same as other players."

However, he added: "Of course, what he deserves is not preferential treatment, but a different way of interacting based on his status and all his contributions."

Former Chilean international Arturo Vidal once stated that "Ronaldo has the right to do whatever he wants." When asked his thoughts on this statement, the experienced Portuguese coach replied: "That's the opinion of someone who also wanted special privileges when he played."

Queiroz managed Portugal for six months in 1993. He continued: "Great players and stars must be role models for others. On a professional level, no one can criticize Ronaldo, and no one can deny his contributions. As for me, I don't think Vidal analyzed this situation well."

Reports suggested that Jorge Jesus was considering a public apology to Ronaldo. Queiroz responded: "I'll say what I would do if I were in Jorge Jesus's position. In the past, I've been head coach of national teams at various levels, and I've sometimes encountered problems or disagreements in certain situations."

The coach, who has managed Zamalek in Egypt and Wydad Casablanca in Morocco, continued: "I think that after this incident between Jorge Jesus and Ronaldo, if the two had sat down and talked face to face, this very serious problem could have been avoided."

When asked whether Ronaldo had become a burden for the Portugal team, Queiroz explained: "Of course, Ronaldo's playing style is different now than before. He is more experienced, but he has become slower. Therefore, it's important to make the most of what he can still offer. I think if both parties had been able to communicate honestly and openly, this situation could have been avoided."

When asked if Ronaldo should accept being a substitute, he replied: "I want to emphasize that the coach's decisions about how to communicate with players and speak to them should be made in private, and there's no need to explain them to the media."

He then added: "The coach said here that he had spoken to the player, and Ronaldo accepted his point of view. But during the match, the coach didn't honor the agreement reached by both parties."

Discussing the contrast between Messi's farewell to the Argentine national team and Ronaldo's situation with Portugal, Queiroz said: "Messi has always been discreet and has a different personality. His low social media presence has also helped him avoid many potential problems."

He added in his Kooora interview: "Today, Messi and his team made a good decision, allowing him to have a wonderful farewell with the national team. Unfortunately, even if Ronaldo and the Portugal team resolve things at this stage, they won't be able to achieve the same effect."

When asked if this meant Messi was smarter than Ronaldo, he explained: "Messi and his team are more pragmatic; all their approaches are consistent with the player's wishes and status, as well as with Argentina's national team status."

Regarding the comparison between Ronaldo's and Salah's situations, Queiroz "doesn't see much difference."

The former technical director of the Egyptian Football Federation explained: "What we see are two great players, two incredible individuals, going through similar situations, and Hossam Hassan and Jorge Jesus also have similar personalities."

According to Egyptian sources, Salah left the national team training camp after Egypt's match against Angola because he was unhappy about being substituted in the 60th minute and also upset by Hossam Hassan's comments regarding injured goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy.

Although Hassan stated that Salah would return to the national team for the friendly match against South Africa and claimed Salah's absence from the South Sudan match was because he didn't want to play on "artificial turf," the Trabzonspor star had already traveled to Turkey and returned to his club to resume training, confirming reports of his disagreement with the Egyptian coach.

Queiroz concluded his Kooora interview by saying: "I hope everyone can learn from what happened in Portugal, and I hope similar situations won't happen elsewhere. Football and these incredible players should always be remembered for all the extraordinary moments they brought to the pitch."

Traduit par IA.

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