"Should have more respect for him" - Adel Taarabt hits out at media and Portuguese fans for Cristiano Ronaldo criticism 

Morocco international Adel Taarabt has hit out at Portuguese fans and the media for their lack of respect towards Cristiano Ronaldo, who has come under plenty of criticism at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The embattled 37-year-old has struggled to make his mark in Qatar, scoring just a penalty in their opening game win over Ghana last month. He was also dropped from Portugal's starting lineup for their round of 16 encounter with Switzerland on 6 December, a bold decision by head coach Fernando Santos.

On top of all this, Ronaldo was also named in SofaScore's worst XI of the 2022 FIFA World Cup group stages, which became a hot topic on social media.

However, Taarabt, whose side will face Portugal on Saturday (10 December), has come to Ronaldo's defense, urging supporters to show the Portuguese more respect.

He said (via Cabine Desportiva):

"I lived on the same plot of flats as Cristiano and spoke to him often. It's very difficult to talk about this but I think that people, namely the Portuguese, as well as their media, should have more respect for him."

Cristiano Ronaldo has accomplished a lot with club and country. However, his age appears to have caught up with him, as the former Real Madrid ace is struggling to conjure his best. His presence up front is no longer reassuring for his team as Ronaldo has become wasteful with his chances and his first touches are not as devastating as before.

For all his achievements on and off the field, Ronaldo will go down in history as one of the best players of all time.

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Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal face Morocco in the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals

Portugal take on a high-flying Morocco at the Al Thumama Stadium on Saturday in the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It remains to be seen if Cristiano Ronaldo starts the game or not, but either way, this promises to be a tasty encounter.

A Selecao demonstrated their credentials with a 6-1 drubbing of Switzerland in the last round, with Goncalo Ramos netting a sensational hat-trick. Morocco, meanwhile, are yet to concede a goal to an opposition player at the tournament, despite facing European heavyweights Croatia, Belgium and Spain.

The side topped Group F ahead of Croatia and Belgium, picking up four points against them before knocking out Spain on penalties in the last 16.