Antonio Simoes has criticised Cristiano Ronaldo’s conduct during his dispute with Portugal manager Jorge Jesus, while calling for both men to meet, apologise and find a way to make peace.
Simoes, a Benfica and Portugal great who won a bronze medal at the 1966 World Cup, was speaking after reading Ronaldo’s statement explaining the circumstances surrounding the disagreement and his departure from the national team camp.
“It would be better to find a way to make peace rather than continue the war,” Simoes told Portuguese newspaper A Bola. “This makes no sense. If there are circumstances that allow Cristiano to return, then he should be welcomed by everyone, not just by people who hide.”
He added: “We should not give Cristiano Ronaldo the right, and I do not think he has it now, but if he admits he made a mistake, we should not judge him. Let us give him the opportunity, especially to receive a farewell worthy of his status and prestige.”
Simoes said all sides needed to show “common sense and tolerance”.
“I am not defending Cristiano, Jesus or anyone else. I am defending common sense,” he said. “They should meet, talk and find a solution. How wonderful it would be if that happened. That is my greatest hope.”
‘Sometimes he thinks only of himself’
Simoes also questioned Ronaldo’s approach, saying: “Sometimes we feel that he thinks only of himself. I experienced this at the World Cup in South Africa and had the chance to speak to him. Even then, I saw a small sign that things should not be this way.”
He said Ronaldo’s achievements meant he should now be able to think beyond personal targets.
“This player has had this whole career and has become mature and a man,” Simoes said. “He must find a way to think without selfishness. It is not only about scoring goals; it is also about the game. These things should be part of him.”
Ronaldo, 41, should not necessarily be excluded from Portugal, Simoes argued, but his role could be reduced.
“If he wants to play, that is not a crime, but he must understand that wanting to play does not mean playing the whole match,” he said. “He may be useful without starting and does not have to play 90 minutes.”
Asked whether Ronaldo still offered Portugal a significant sporting contribution, Simoes replied: “I have doubts about that. It requires much more than simply being useful.”
He said a 41-year-old could influence a match through his reputation, but added that the manager must know how to manage that impact.
On a possible punishment for leaving camp, Simoes said the decision should depend on the circumstances and the standards being applied. “They should talk first,” he said. “If each has to apologise to the other, then let them do so.”
Simoes rejected suggestions that Ronaldo’s absence had affected Portugal’s team. “When I look at the match, I do not see the slightest impact on the team – nothing, zero,” he said. “They played well and won.”
He also questioned why Ronaldo should receive special treatment after being asked to warm up but not being brought on. “Jorge Jesus has every right to make Ronaldo warm up for one minute or 30 minutes. He is the manager,” Simoes said.
“Why should he receive special treatment? He has a different status, but is he not a player in the team? Stop these things and do not feed them.”
Simoes joked that Ronaldo, who played more minutes under Roberto Martinez than any other player, could continue for years after reaching 1,000 goals.
“He will continue playing for Portugal until he is 49,” he said, referring to the World Cup due to be held in Saudi Arabia.
Comparing Ronaldo with Eusebio, Pele and Diego Maradona, Simoes added: “I have played alongside the king called Eusebio, and lived through Pele and Maradona, but I have never seen anything like this happen around a king.”
He concluded: “A 41-year-old man playing football – would it not be better for him to stop?”
