5 great players who publicly slammed Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers in history. The Portuguese has enjoyed a lot of success in the sport over the last two decades for club and country.

To name a few, he has claimed five Ballon d'Or accolades, four European Golden Shoes and three UEFA Best Player awards. The attacker has also won several trophies, including the Champions League, La Liga, Serie A and many more, making him one of the most decorated players ever.

However, having a great career doesn't necessarily mean a footballer will be well-received by everyone. Cristiano Ronaldo has received a lot of unpleasant comments from many over the last few years. Apart from fans, many great players over the years have slammed the Portuguese publicly due to varying reasons.

On that note, here's a look at five such players, active or otherwise:

#5 Gonzalo Higuain

Cristiano Ronaldo is egoistic, according to his former teammate Gonzalo Higuain.

Cristiano Ronaldo's obsession with being the best of all time has led many to accuse him of being egoistic. Surprisingly, his former teammate at Real Madrid, Gonzalo Higuain, is also one of them.

Two years after leaving Real Madrid for Napoli, Higuain reflected on his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo at the Santiago Bernabeu. Higuain held nothing back as he launched a fierce criticism of the Portuguese, saying:

"He has a lot of ego. If you don't say he's the best, he's not your friend. Cristiano thinks he's the best, but he's overrated. I've shared a dressing room with Messi, and one is nothing like the other."

#4 Fernando Meira

Meira wasn't impressed with Cristiano Ronaldo throwing away Portugal's captain's armband.

Cristiano Ronaldo was the subject of intense criticism following a controversial incident in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in March. The attacker scored what was supposed to be the winner for Portugal in a 2-2 draw with Serbia, but his effort was wrongly ruled out for offside.

Ronaldo reacted angrily by throwing away his captain's armband and headed for the dressing room while the game was on. Many criticised his actions, including former Portugal defender Fernando Meira, who was quoted as saying:

"It's a clear goal, but Ronaldo cannot throw the Portugal captain's armband on the floor. Cristiano's reaction is natural but unacceptable for the captain of the national team. You cannot throw the captain's armband on the floor and go towards the changing room while the game is still going on."

"I understand his frustration, and I agree with him because the goal was valid, but the referees are the ones that have to make decisions, without VAR, and he has to set an example. And yesterday's was not one to follow," Meira added.

#3 Alessandro Del Piero

Del Piero also slammed the Portuguese superstar over the arm-band saga.

It wasn't just Fernando Meira who criticised Cristiano Ronaldo for throwing away Portugal's captain's armband and leaving the pitch before the final whistle. Juventus legend Alessandro Del Pierro was also not happy with the attacker's actions, claiming they were exaggerated.

“I think it was an exaggerated reaction," the former Juventus attacker was quoted as saying.

“It’s okay to be angry; it’s okay to discuss and also to protest. But throwing away the armband and continuing to behave in that way is too much for someone who represents the team not only as a captain but also as the most iconic figure."

"But I also understand the moment, the importance of the match and also the personal ambition that he puts into everything he does," Del Piero added.

#2 Antonio Cassano

Antonio Cassano (left) isn't a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Juventus lured Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid to help them win the coveted Champions League title. But that never came to fruition. Following another forgettable campaign in Europe last season, former Real Madrid and Roma striker Antonio Cassano didn't mince words to criticise Ronaldo, saying:

"If you have chosen the path of (playing a certain type of) football, Ronaldo is not good. "He is someone you have to give the ball to, and he scores, thinking about his records. Ronaldo is not who he was four years ago. They signed him to win the Champions League, and they failed.

"Juventus got rid of a coach (Allegri) who, in the last 20 or 30 years, has produced the best football in Italy, and his big problem was one: Cristiano Ronaldo. It was for (Maurizio) Sarri and it is for Pirlo (now)," added Cassano.

#1 Zlatan Ibrahimovic

The AC Milan forward never stops trolling Cristiano Ronaldo.

Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid for Juventus in the summer of 2018, saying that he needed a new challenge. He also asked his eternal rival Lionel Messi to join him in Italy. That apparently angered former Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who wasted no time to slam the Portuguese.

Ibrahimovic said that joining a team that has dominated Italian football for almost a decade is no challenge. Instead, the Swede forward asked Cristiano Ronaldo to join a team from the second division and make them champions.

“Cristiano is talking about new challenges; he calls it a challenge to move to a club where it is already normal to win Serie A. Why did he not choose a club from a second division a few years ago?," said Ibrahimovic.

“Try to become a champion with such a second-division champion and lead them to the highest level, which is a challenge. It is bulls***, moving to Juventus is not a challenge at all.”

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