“He would lead, and we would follow” - Jose Fonte offers opinion on talks of Cristiano Ronaldo disrupting Portugal’s harmony at Euro 2024
Former Portugal defender Jose Fonte dismissed suggestions that Cristiano Ronaldo was a disruptive presence in the Portugal dressing room. He claimed that the forward led the team by example and would push others to do even better.
In his BBC Sport column, Fonte stated that he laughed at reports of Ronaldo causing issues in the Portugal dressing room. He wrote:
"I always laugh when I hear stories and rumours about how Cristiano Ronaldo is a disruptive presence in the Portugal camp, because that's all they are - stories. I spent many years with him in the national team and I never saw any problems. What I do know is that he is not just a great professional himself, he also tries to help everyone else in the squad. Even just observing him would give you ideas of what you should be doing to be successful, but when you are with Cristiano you get so much more than that."
"He's the captain of the squad and he’s always been a vocal guy, who talks a lot, but on or off the pitch he leads by example too. So, when he goes earlier than everyone else to the gym, or does his physiotherapy and is preparing his body and his mind, then he drags everyone else up with him as well. He would lead, and we would follow. I can remember us all doing ice baths and saunas at 2am because of him and, as well as helping our physical recovery, the important thing is that we were doing them together, the whole squad," he added.
Notably, former manager Fernando Santo benched Cristiano Ronaldo at the FIFA World Cup after he struggled to start the tournament well. This led to rumors that the forward was adversely affecting the atmosphere in the Portugal dressing room.
Cristiano Ronaldo leading Portugal at EURO 2024
Cristiano Ronaldo is the Portugal captain at EURO 2024. The forward has played all the group-stage games but is yet to get on the scoresheet.
The Al Nassr star will be leading the side once again on Monday, July 1, when they take on Slovenia in a Round of 16 clash. Ronaldo will want to get on the scoresheet and help his side qualify for the quarterfinals, where they will face the winner of the France vs Belgium encounter.
Portugal topped their group despite losing the final group stage match to Georgia.