Marca
Cristiano Ronaldo’s match against Spain in Braga was by no means the best of his career. Lacking in both pace and accuracy, the Portuguese player came close to scoring on several occasions but ultimately failed to find the back of the net.
Following the game, the critics were out in full force against the Manchester United striker with, former Italy and Real Madrid player Antonio Cassano one of them.
“A guy like Cristiano has to think about himself and if you can’t do it any more then you have to call it a day,” Cassano said.
“It’s a rule in all sports. Retire, that’s enough!
“He has won everything, he has been a phenomenon, he has earned a lot of money and now he is not a starter at Manchester United.”
The Italian also compared Ronaldo to his perennial rival Lionel Messi, stating that the Argentine was the better of two purely because of what he has had to sacrifice.
“Messi is like Diego Maradona and, when we talk about sacrifices, we must remember that Leo left Argentina at the age of 14, overcoming many physical problems,” Cassano said.
“He spent four years on his own, in Barcelona, and these are sacrifices.”