“Your friends are upset with you and they don’t want to see that” - Pundit sends strong message to Cristiano Ronaldo for crying after penalty miss
Retired French defender Frank Leboeuf was critical of Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo after he was seen crying after missing an extra-time penalty against Slovenia on Monday, July 1. The Selecao eventually found their way back from the near-disaster to overcome the minnows 3-0 on penalties and reach the quarterfinals.
In terms of prestige and squad quality alone, Portugal are way ahead of Slovenia, who played their first knockout game at a major tournament. Because of this, many expected the Selecao to stroll to the win, but this was not the case in Frankfurt.
Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portugal teammates were effectively shackled by the Slovenia backline, with captain Jan Oblak having a terrific game in goal. They denied their opposition clear openings, defending excellently and posed a threat on the break.
Neither side managed to score in 90 minutes, necessitating extra-time where Cristiano Ronaldo had a great chance to win the game for his side. Diogo Jota won a penalty with a driving run, affording his captain the opportunity to break the deadlock from the spot.
But Oblak pulled off a terrific save to keep the match goalless, leaving the Al-Nassr star in tears afterwards. Speaking about the game as a pundit on ESPN FC, Leboeuf was critical of the actions of the 39-year-old for having cried during the match. He said:
“I understand that he feels everything fell apart, but at the same time you have to think about your teammates. The game is not over. You’re not losing [yet] and you’re still going to fight [for the win]."
“For me it was not a penalty. The shot [by Ronaldo] wasn’t very good and Oblak is a fantastic goalkeeper so he saved it."
“But don’t cry in front of your teammates, keep it for the end of the game maybe if you lose. I understand the emotion going through your mind when you miss a penalty. I did miss a penalty, it happened to me. But you don’t react like that. Your friends are upset with you because you missed it and they don’t want to see that. You’re going to put everybody’s temper in the wrong direction and you are the captain."
Cristiano Ronaldo recovered sufficiently emotionally to convert a penalty in the shootout, showing his mental toughness. The forward set the tone for his side's shootout win, eliminating Slovenia from the tournament.
Diogo Costa spares Cristiano Ronaldo's blushes in Portugal shootout win
Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa was the hero for his country as they overcame a stubborn Slovenia side to reach the quarterfinals of Euro 2024. The Euro 2016 winners will now face France in the last eight of the tournament (July 5).
Cristiano Ronaldo was guilty of failing to put his side ahead as he extended his goal drought at the Euros to four games. He struck a number of free-kicks close to the goalkeeper before seeing his penalty saved in the first half of extra-time.
FC Porto goalkeeper Costa rescued his team, first in the second half of extra-time when he saved one-on-one against Benjamin Sesko, and in the shootout. He became the first goalkeeper in European Championship history to feature for 120 minutes and a penalty shootout without conceding a single goal. He saved all three penalties he faced to lead his side into the last eight.