Barcelona star Gavi has this weekend moved to throw his backing behind Portugal and Al-Nassr frontman Cristiano Ronaldo. This of course comes amid widespread backlash aimed at the 41-year-old over recent weeks.
En route to Portugal booking their spot in the Last-16 of the World Cup, Ronaldo has featured from the off in all four fixtures. The widespread sentiment, however, appears to be that Roberto MartĂnez’s troops would be better served in leaning on the talents of others, before introducing Ronaldo off the bench.
The general level of his performances has long come under scrutiny, with Ronaldo, when not scoring goals, struggling to make an impact on general play.
The media and fans alike have been ruthless in their condemnation of the former Real Madrid man, whilst Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and more continue to come in for consistent praise.
Speaking to the media ahead of Spain’s upcoming showdown with Portugal on Monday, the aforementioned Gavi was therefore drawn on Ronaldo’s name.
And the Barcelona midfielder made use of the opportunity to defend the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, explaining:
“I’ve never seen criticism towards Cristiano from his teammates, only from the outside… his teammates respect him a lot. He’s one of the best ever; he can make the difference at any moment.”
Conor Laird – GSFN
