Cristiano Ronaldo’s future with the national team is causing a stir. Former Bayern star Bixente Lizarazu sees his ego, above all, as the problem.
The debate surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo and his future on the Portuguese national team shows no signs of abating. After the 41-year-old left the team camp early, discussions are underway about what’s next for the superstar.
Now Bixente Lizarazu has weighed in as well. The former FC Bayern left back believes the responsibility lies not only with Ronaldo, but also with the federation and national team coach Jorge Jesus.
“If this drama continues, it will be a serious mistake on the part of all three parties: the federation, (coach) Jorge Jesus, and Cristiano Ronaldo,” Lizarazu said on the French TV show “Telefoot l’After.”
Lizarazu warns of an undignified ending
For the World and European champion, it would be disastrous if Ronaldo’s national team career were to end this way: “It’s unacceptable for the story of a player like him—and given what he represents for Portugal—to end this way. It’s a disaster for the country’s image.”
Lizarazu was particularly clear on the subject of ego: “It’s precisely that ‘I’ that made him Cristiano Ronaldo. His ego drove him to work like a man possessed and break every record. But at some point, that very thing becomes your worst enemy. It was his strength, but now it’s his worst enemy, because you’re only as old as you are, and you’ll end up in the ‘elephant graveyard’—I guarantee it!”
The 56-year-old sees the crux of the matter in how Ronaldo deals with aging. Even an exceptional player must accept that speed and performance will eventually decline.
Lizarazu is therefore calling for a solution that does justice to Ronaldo’s achievements. The coach, the federation, and the player need to come to an agreement so that his career in the Portugal jersey doesn’t end in a dispute.