Ronaldo has been accused of being cowardly on the football pitch
#2 Criticising his teammates
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Ronaldo has not always been cordial towards his teammates, such as Gareth Bale
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Accusations of selfish behaviour have always dogged Ronaldo and some of his on-pitch antics have contributed to this. However, he’s also landed himself in hot water with both teammates and ex-teammates by using his sharp tongue.
In a 2016 interview, Ronaldo was asked whether he had a good relationship with his fellow Real players Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale. His response? A great relationship wasn’t needed, as he’d succeeded at Manchester United despite never talking to Rio Ferdinand, Ryan Giggs or Paul Scholes. Quite why he felt the need to say this I’m unsure, especially as he apparently used to live next door to Ferdinand who claimed they were close friends.
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His Real teammates haven’t been impervious to his criticisms either. After a 2016 loss to Atletico Madrid – a game which Bale, Pepe and Marcelo missed due to injury – Ronaldo hit out at his teammates, saying that “if they were all at my level, maybe we’d be leaders” – a reference to his own impressive fitness, and a clear knock at the fitness of his teammates.
Perhaps Ronaldo had a point, but throwing his teammates under the bus in interviews can’t do much good for team morale, and it’s a cowardly thing to do.
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About the author
Scott Newman
Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.
Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.
Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.
His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.
Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.
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