Mikel Says Ronaldo Should Be Honored Despite Controversy

Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel believes Cristiano Ronaldo has hurt his legacy by leaving the Portugal national team. But he still thinks Ronaldo should be celebrated for his contributions to football, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Ronaldo was in the news after he left the national team’s camp during the last international break. This happened after a disagreement with the new coach, Jorge Jesus. Ronaldo accused Jesus of lying and not showing him respect after being dropped for the UEFA Nations League match against Norway last month.

The 41-year-old player has since apologized, and the Portuguese Football Federation has suspended him.

While speaking on his Obi One Podcast, Mikel said no player should walk out on the national team, especially not a captain. He said, "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 also defended coach Jorge Jesus. He said Ronaldo needs to understand that a manager is there to win matches and can change agreements about playing time.

Mikel believes the five-time Ballon d’Or winner deserves respect as he approaches the end of his career. He said, "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."