Regragui says Portugal failed to show Ronaldo the respect Argentina gives Messi

Walid Regragui believes Cristiano Ronaldo’s dispute with Portugal could have been avoided and says the way the striker has been treated contrasts sharply with Lionel Messi’s standing in Argentina.

The former Morocco manager was speaking on Football Club, broadcast by Canal Plus, in comments reported by Foot Mercato. He said Ronaldo’s contribution to Portuguese football should not be overlooked, despite his criticism of how the recent situation has developed.

“Ronaldo has given a great deal. The status achieved by many Portuguese players, as well as Portuguese football itself, is down to Cristiano,” Regragui said.

“That does not give him the right to do whatever he wants, but I believe everything in this latest phase was handled badly. I think they should have sat down with him and told him: ‘Listen, we need to stop here.’”

Regragui also questioned the way the relationship between Ronaldo and Portugal’s coach had been managed. He noted that the coach had previously worked with Ronaldo at Al Nassr and suggested the two men should already have discussed whether the forward would continue with the national team.

“On top of that, the coach is someone who had already worked with Ronaldo at his club, so they must have spoken beforehand about whether he would carry on or not,” he said. “Both sides have harmed themselves, and that is regrettable.”

The former Morocco coach then compared Ronaldo’s position in Portugal with Messi’s influence in Argentina, arguing that the difference between the two situations was considerable.

“ I think Ronaldo, out of pride, also wants to reach 1000 goals, and perhaps he wants to do that in a Portugal shirt. But the final result is that it creates a negative image,” Regragui said.

“What I want to say is that this would never have happened in Argentina. The reverence Argentines have for Messi, and the reverence the players have for him, is something I have never felt the Portuguese have shown towards Ronaldo at all.”

Regragui said Argentina’s players had been willing to fight for Messi, including during their most recent World Cup campaign, while he believed Portugal had never accepted taking the same approach with Ronaldo.

“The Portuguese never wanted to run and fight for Ronaldo, whereas the Argentines accepted doing that for Messi, even at the last World Cup,” he said. “In Portugal, this was never accepted at all.”