Christophe Dugarry on Cristiano Ronaldo: His ego is consuming him

Former French national team striker Christophe Dugarry has expressed harsh criticism of Cristiano Ronaldo, stating that the legendary footballer's ego is damaging his reputation. The 1998 World Cup winner did not hide his deep disappointment regarding the recent controversial situation surrounding the Al-Nassr forward and the Portugal national team. This is reported by Goal.com .

Disagreements between Ronaldo and the national team head coach, as well as disputes over playing time, have escalated the situation. Speaking on the RMC Sport show 'Rothen s'enflamme', the former Milan and Barcelona player accused the five-time Ballon d'Or winner of disrespecting his compatriots.

Reputation is suffering

According to RMC Sport, Dugarry emphasized his regret that Ronaldo has altered the collective and positive image he cultivated for decades. In his view, instead of leaving the big stage with honor, the player has become a victim of his own ego in recent months.

"It's very sad because this is not the image he projected before. He always appeared as a person with a healthy lifestyle, someone who played for the team, and was generous. Now, it feels like his ego is consuming him in recent months," said the former French striker.

Performance on the pitch and setting an example for youth

Dugarry added that a great player must be able to evaluate his own capabilities in time and recognize when his level of play has declined. He noted that in the last three international tournaments, the Portugal national team has been much more cohesive and effective without its captain.

The former player questioned what kind of example the former star is setting for Portuguese youth by raising such a fuss over minor disagreements regarding coaching decisions and playing time. Furthermore, the misunderstanding with the coaching staff and the incident of leaving the training camp before international matches affected the team's atmosphere.

Although the head coach emphasized in a press conference that the doors to the national team remain open, the serious conflict and coldness in their relationship are complicating the situation. It remains unclear how this step, taken after dialogue between Ronaldo and the Portuguese Football Federation leadership, will affect future cooperation.