Former Super Eagles skipper John Obi Mikel believes Cristiano Ronaldo has damaged his legacy by departing the Portugal camp, while maintaining that the forward deserves praise for his contributions to football.
Ronaldo recently attracted attention after leaving the national team’s camp during the last international break following a dispute with newly appointed coach Jorge Jesus.
He accused the former Benfica coach of lying and treating him disrespectfully after being left out of the UEFA Nations League match against Norway last month.
The 41-year-old has since apologized, while the Portuguese Football Federation has imposed a suspension.
On his Obi One Podcast, Mikel said no footballer should leave the national team, especially not its captain.
“The last thing you will do is to walk out of your national team or your football club as a captain, as someone everybody looks up to. It just takes away everything you stand for. I do not care what deal he had with the manager or not,” Mikel said.
The former Chelsea midfielder also came to Jesus’s defense, adding that Ronaldo should understand a manager is hired to win games and may change an agreement regarding playing time.
Mikel continues to believe that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner deserves respect as his career draws to a close, saying, “We should be celebrating Cristiano Ronaldo now towards the end of his career. He has given so much to football. Even if you are not a Cristiano Ronaldo fan, you cannot deny what he has done for the game.”
