"We are not the favorites, we have to be honest" to Desimpedidos.
And that was not all he had to say
"There are teams with more names, like Brazil, Spain, Germany, Argentina, but in football everything is possible".
Not only did Cristiano say that Portugal wouldn't be winning the World Cup but he went as far as to name some teams he favored! It may seem strange at first, but Cristiano is indeed honest. While Portugal does have Ronaldo, current Ballon d’Or winner, their World Cup team outlook is not as bright as it has been in the past. With Spain looking to be the strongest team in Group B, Portugal needs to ensure they make it out of group stage before they can worry about winning the whole tournament. As Ronaldo says himself
"We are going to try to advance from the group stage, then we'll see. The main objective is the first phase."
Although Ronaldo's outlook may be justified, it's not a very fun story for the people! The World Cup
is a time of national pride and competition, so it is always more enjoyable to watch when you think your team could win. This may be a slight spoiler for the Portuguese people, but at least they will have fair expectations now. As World Cup storylines build leading up to Russia, the attention surrounding Cristiano and the Portuguese will only develop.What do you think? Should Ronaldo have counted his team out so early? Comment below!
Citation:
https://www.soccerladuma.co.za/news/articles/international/categories/messi-ronaldo-neymar-watch-1/cristiano-ronaldo-names-four-2018-fifa-world-cup-favourites-snubs-portugal/289228
I think that this is very interesting that Ronaldo has said this. Moreover, I do not think it was fair for him to count his team out so early. Even though he does not play in the regular season for a Portuguese team, I do not think that it was very patriotic of him to announce that he does not have high hopes that the Portuguese team will be competitive in the World Cup. It is not giving his teammates faith in him, as one of the leaders of the team, because it seems as though he does not believe in his teammates. I think that by Ronaldo saying this early on, it shows that he has a little too big of an ego. He does not want it to reflect on him personally that the Portuguese team does not do well so he wants to state early on what his predictions will be to get the pressure off his back in some ways. Overall I think that by Ronaldo saying this makes it harder for his team to have confidence before the tournament even begins and shows his teammates that he does not believe in them and that he will not pull through for his country.
ReplyDeleteHANNAH HENRY: I agree with Emma and feel that his comments about not having confidence in his team may even further lessen the team's chance of winning. His remarks could definitely cause tension between the team, which could also interfere with the team's chemistry. If he would be confident in his team and show the world that he does believe they have a shot, I think they would have an even higher shot at winning because the team would feed off of his confidence and play better
DeletePortugal just won Euros! I would hate to be Ronaldo's teammate after hearing this. I understand taking one game at a time but if you count yourself out so early, you won't succeed. He should not have said that. Ronaldo is too critical of his teammates and thats why he isn't liked even by some fans in Madrid. Luckily he is one of the best players of all-time and thats why these comments are able to slide. A lesser caliber player making these comments may have impacted his future playing time. Ronaldo needs to focus on improving team chemistry and confidence rather than being "honest". Portugal is a strong side that can give any team a run for their money. Ronaldo's comments were unneeded.
ReplyDeleteTo me, this does not so much seem that Ronaldo has given up hope, but rather that he is acknowledging that Portugal are the underdogs. To me, this seems like Ronaldo thinks other teams are more talented, but that the Portuguese still have a chance. This just means that he and his team must work extra hard, play with passion and dedication, and not give up. One of my favorite lines about the sports world is that "anybody can beat anybody on any given day". I think that Ronaldo is using this mentality: that his team is not the best, but if he works harder than his opponents he can beat the odds and win. He wants to take the tournament one game at a time, face the odds and work towards victory.
ReplyDeleteI agree with parts of everyone’s comments. I do not think this was bad to see as it is obvious. However I think he phrased it in a way that can crate tension with teammates, coaches, and even fans. This was described in the comments above. On the other hand, he and many others believe his comments are true. I think he could say these things but phrase it in a more optimistic way, explaining they are the underdogs but they are excited for this challenge.
ReplyDelete-alison
Though I see both sides I agree that I don't think he should've sold his team so short. Yes, honestly is usually a good thing, but not in all situations. If I was Portuguese, it would have been very dis-heartening for me to hear a player as prestigious as Cristiano Ronaldo basically saying my team didn't have much of a chance.
ReplyDeleteHe could have gotten across a similar message without saying it in such a negative way. For example, he could have just stated their only focusing on getting through the first stages right now and taking it one step at a time, instead of saying "then we'll see". It's his phrasing of a lot of his answers that I just wasn't a huge fan of, he could've chosen to not address certain things instead.
- Siobhan O'Loughlin