“Be responsible enough to put your ego aside” - Cristiano Ronaldo sent harsh criticism for overlooking Portugal teammates by Liverpool icon
Liverpool icon Steve Nicol slammed Cristiano Ronaldo after Portugal's penalty shootout win over Slovenia in Euro 2024 Round of 16 on July 1. He said the legendary forward should've allowed his teammates to take free kicks in the clash at Frankfurt, Germany.
It was a frustrating night for A Selecao as they were held to a goalless draw at the end of regulation time by Slovenia. Roberto Martinez's side did create multiple chances but were unable to capitalise on them. They had 20 attempts, with six being on target as compared to Slovenia's 2/10 shots on target.
A few of Portugal's chances came in the form of free kicks. Cristiano Ronaldo took all of them and came close to scoring with a couple, also forcing Jan Oblak into a save. However, he also missed a couple by a big margin, leading to a barrage of criticism.
Steve Nicol said on ESPNFC that the Al-Nassr forward be more responsible and should let his teammates take free kicks. He said:
“It’s irresponsible of Ronaldo to keep [missing free-kicks], sticking it over the bar, hitting it against the wall. He has to take responsibility on himself that somebody else should have a go [instead] or somebody else should be taking it.
“The word responsible has a whole lot of meaning behind it and that’s one and it’s a big one. He should know as well as anybody else that he hasn’t scored a free-kick in 34 games [at the European Championships].
“When you look around the squad and the names standing next to him [before a free-kick], you have to be responsible enough to put your ego aside and say, ‘okay, I need to step aside.’”
Cristiano Ronaldo is among the only Portugal players to have scored a free kick in the recent past. He scored two free kicks in a single game for Al-Nassr in April against Abha.
He is also the last player to score a free kick goal for Manchester United, having done so back in April 2022.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal secure hard-fought win over Slovenia in Euro 2024
Roberto Martinez's side were the favorites heading into the Euro 2024 Round of 16 clash against Slovenia on Monday. However, Matjaz Kek's side put up a brilliant fight and were helped by some poor finishing from Portugal.
A Selecao created plenty of chances in the first half but were unable to capitalise on them. Their tempo appeared to have dropped in the second half and they were unable to create clear-cut opportunities. The game ended 0-0 and went into extra time.
Towards the end of the first half of extra time, Portugal received a penalty after Diogo Jota was fouled in the box. However, Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty was saved by Jan Oblak. Benjamin Sesko then had a glorious 1v1 chance in the second half but Diogo Costa made a crucial save.
In the penalty shootout, Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, and Bernardo Silva all scored their penalties. Meanwhile, Costa saved all three Slovenian penalties, becoming the first goalkeeper to do so at Euros.