Miguel Albuquerque, president of the Regional Government of Madeira, has defended Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portugal captain left the national team’s camp in Copenhagen on Wednesday following an unprecedented dispute with manager Jorge Jesus.
Speaking at a public event in the municipality of Camara de Lobos, Albuquerque said Ronaldo had been unfairly targeted by “petty matters and empty talk”, according to Portuguese newspaper A Bola.
“We here in Madeira support Ronaldo,” Albuquerque said, highlighting the worldwide impact of the Portugal forward’s career.
“He is the most famous Portuguese person in the world. Ronaldo has promoted Portugal and raised its standing throughout a career lasting more than 25 years. He is one of the Portuguese people who have brought the greatest honour to the country.
“For all these years he has been the best player in the world, he has won everything that can be won and he has made an enormous contribution to the Portugal national team.”
Albuquerque criticises Ronaldo’s detractors
Ronaldo’s early departure from the Portugal camp in Denmark also prompted strong criticism from Albuquerque towards those he believed had contributed to the situation.
“They must have annoyed him, and he was right to do it,” he said. “Nobody has the patience to deal with these petty matters and this empty talk intended to diminish what he has achieved and who he is.”
Although Albuquerque acknowledged that Ronaldo “is not always right”, he insisted the forward’s legacy would remain secure long after the current dispute had faded.
“What matters at this moment is that Ronaldo remains what he has always been: a top-class player and a Portuguese man who represented the country’s name and presented Portugal abroad in a way nobody else has done,” he said.
“After 30 years, nobody will know who the manager was. Nobody will know who was in charge of the Portugal national team, and nobody will know who was commentating on football.
“But after 30, 40 and 50 years, everyone will know who Ronaldo is. That is the difference between greatness and mediocrity.”
Ronaldo left the Portugal camp after his disagreement with Jorge Jesus, who did not select him for the team’s most recent match against Norway. The manager also said Ronaldo would not feature against Denmark on Thursday in the Nations League.
The developments have created an unusual break between the Portugal captain and his manager, while Albuquerque’s intervention underlined the strong support Ronaldo continues to receive in Madeira, the island from which he comes.
