“Worrying About His Personal Stats” – Cristiano Ronaldo Criticized for ‘Tantrum’ Over Substitution in Portugal’s Disappointing Loss to Georgia

Portugal’s main man Cristiano Ronaldo surprisingly started in the final group match, only to cut a frustrated figure throughout the losing game against Georgia. He lost his cool to the referee. He drew daggers at Georgia players. Ultimately, the 2016 Euro winner threw ‘tantrums’ at his coach Roberto Martinez for substituting him. Ronaldo’s sideline gestures have now become a subject of mockery among soccer pundits. One such pundit, Craig Burley thinks CR7 was frustrated over the substitution because he was denied a chance to ‘improve his stats.’

Portugal’s loss and Cristiano Ronaldo’s antics became a talking point in a post-game ESPN FC episode. Craig Burley opined that Ronaldo decided to start against Georgia instead of resting for the knockouts and was unhappy when the coach decided to call him back. “He didn’t decide to come off and was taken off just over the hour mark and was not a happy chappy. In fact, he threw a little bit of a tantrum. With all respect, this is just Cristiano Ronaldo worrying about his personal stats. That’s all it is,” said Craig Burley.

Continuing his critique, Burley said that if Ronaldo thinks he is Portugal’s ‘lynchpin’ he should be more concerned about his wellness for the knockout tie, instead of bothering about stat padding. Besides, Burley observed that the coach called Ronaldo back to ensure he was fit for the knockouts. “I still feel to me, a lot of this for Ronaldo is about improving his stats,” Burley added, hinting that CR7 should have prioritized his fitness for the next game, instead of personal goals. Thereafter, the analysts observed that it would be a headache for Martinez if he continued to let Ronaldo call the shots.

Martinez could upset the Portuguese locker room, courtesy of Cristiano Ronaldo

After Burley’s comments, French journalist Julien Laurens gave his two cents on Cristiano Ronaldo’s display against Georgia. Laurens echoed Burley’s observations and said it was 100% Ronaldo’s decision to start against Georgia. He said any coach would rest a player nearing his 40s for a final group game if the team has already qualified for the knockouts. “This was a madness that Cristiano was on the pitch and that’s definitely his choice. If it was fully down to him, he would have played the whole 90 minutes, which makes no sense,” said Laurens.

He added, “If I’m Roberto Martinez, this is even the wrong message I am sending to my dressing room, my squad, my players. Because everybody can see then that Cristiano does whatever he wants.” Ronaldo starting for Portugal indeed came as a surprise. Fellow veterans like Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva rested and recuperated for the knockouts.

Making his feature more abysmal, the Al Nassr star earned a yellow for arguing with the referee and then came this touchline fiasco. Ronaldo and Portugal next play Slovenia in the Round of 16 on July 01. We’ll see if Martinez’s side will return to the winning track that night.