Tunisia great Hatem Trabelsi says Cristiano Ronaldo’s international career with Portugal should have ended in a manner more befitting his achievements, while criticising the circumstances surrounding the forward’s departure from the squad.
Ronaldo left Portugal’s camp unexpectedly on Wednesday in protest at his limited involvement under manager Jorge Jesus.
Speaking on beIN SPORTS, Trabelsi said Ronaldo’s record and contribution to the national team could not be called into question.
“There is a clear difference in the way stars are treated between the Latin mentality and the European mentality,” Trabelsi said. “European clubs always put the interests of the group ahead of the individual interests of players.”
He cited Barcelona’s decision to part with Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s sale of Ronaldo to Juventus as examples of clubs prioritising their own interests when they believe it is necessary.
Trabelsi acknowledged that Ronaldo had declined physically and technically in recent times and was no longer the same player he had been at his peak.
“He is no longer able to press or maintain a high tempo as he used to,” he said.
However, Trabelsi argued that the ending of Ronaldo’s Portugal career should have been handled differently and in a way that reflected his historic status.
He also expressed disappointment that the 40-year-old left camp without first coordinating with the team or reaching an amicable solution that could have avoided negative interpretations of the dispute.
Trabelsi concluded by saying there was some tension between Ronaldo and certain Portugal team-mates as a result of previous comments made by the captain.