Cristiano Ronaldo spoke again about his future on Monday.
Cristiano Ronaldo was in a press conference on Monday, on the sidelines of the Portugal gathering. The Seleção faces Croatia next Thursday in the Nations League. Faced with the pressure, Cristiano Ronaldo did not escape questions about his future and especially about the date of his retirement. And the five-time Ballon d’Or winner was very clear.
Cristiano Ronaldo does not give up on the selection
Nearly two months after Portugal’s elimination in the quarter-finals of the Euro (defeat on penalties against France), the Seleção will be back on the pitch next Thursday. And while we weren’t necessarily expecting it, Cristiano Ronaldo is indeed on the list. A presence that still raises questions about the date of the Real Madrid legend’s withdrawal from the national team. When asked about the issue, the former Juventus player says he still feels important to the national team.
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“What I feel is that right now I continue to be an asset to the team. When I feel that I am not an asset, I will be the first to leave and I will go with a clear conscience, as always. I know what I am, what I do and what I will continue to do. I will always have, until the end of my career, the thought that I will be a starter. I have always respected the decisions of the selectors and the coaches… Not always, but that is because they have also behaved badly towards me. Whenever there is a professional ethic, I will always respect the coaches.”the former Manchester United striker replied to the media.
Retirement? It will have to wait for Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo does not want to retire from international football at the moment. Better still, the former Sporting Portugal player simply does not want to hang up his boots. If Adrien Mutu revealed a few weeks ago that the Portuguese dreamed of playing with his eldest son, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr, the thousand goal mark seems to be another objective for the Al Nassr striker who has scored 899 goals. In any case, Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement date is far from being close.
“When that moment comes, sooner or later, I will be the first to take that step forward. It will be a very personal decision for me and it will not be very difficult to make. It will be a normal decision, as other players have done, like Pepe, who had an excellent career, who is an example for all of us and who left through the front door. That is how you can see it, leaving through the front door with joy and not with sadness. In recent years, what moves me is the joy I still have in training and competing. For me, that is the most important thing. Sometimes you will score, sometimes you won’t, that is part of life.”explains the Champions League goal record holder, recently honoured by UEFA.
