Ricardo Carvalho gave, this Monday, an extensive interview to John Obi Mikel, his former teammate, at Chelsea, in the ‘The Obi One Podcast‘, in which he ‘lifted the veil’ regarding the reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo was present in practically every game during the period in which he served as assistant coach to Roberto Martínez, in Portugal’s main national team.
“In my opinion, he should have removed it. Now, on the other hand, Cristiano received all the merits in the past. Then, Cristiano, if you know him, is a player who always wants to play. He was successful because he always wants to be there, because he feels he can score. It was difficult for Roberto to get that out of his head, because, even if, at times, he was tired and couldn’t retreat…”, he began by stating.
“He himself thinks ‘A ball is going to come and I’m going to score. A free kick and I’m going to score’. That’s how he is. After that, we knew more or less that our period in the national team was going to end, and Cristiano was very important for us, so I think Roberto wanted to continue with him, because he gave us a lot during these three or four years. I didn’t want to let him go down”, he added.
The former FC Porto centre-back revealed, moreover, that, in the second round match of the World Cup group stage, in which Portugal beat Uzbekistan, 5-0, the Al Nassr striker himself refused to leave the pitch: “We were winning, 3-0, he had scored two goals. The coach was thinking about taking him off, but Cristiano said ‘I’ve just started scoring goals, I want more’. He always wants more”.
“Two wasn’t enough, he wants three or four, that’s how he is. Maybe that’s why he continued to work to have more success, more goals, to reach 1,000 goals in his career… He needs that. Then, it’s difficult for a coach, because you can’t support all the players. You have 26, and if you treat Cristiano like that, then it’s going to be difficult for the other strikers, who are there, waiting for a few minutes, and even for the team, but It’s a difficult decision to make”, he confessed.
“If it were me, I would realize that there would have to come a time when I would have to leave. From my experience, when you get older, the later you leave, the worse, because you get more tired, you don’t arrive in time… For me, he should have left earlier, but I’m not the head coach, it’s Roberto’s decision, and, in the end, I think he’s happy with the decision he made. You have to decide at the moment, and only in one game did Roberto withdraw him, I think it was against Croatia, when the Gonçalo (Ramos) scores the goal”, he added.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is still doing well, but he is no longer the player I saw at Real Madrid”
Ricardo Carvalho recalled, moreover, that he arrived at the national team at the same time as Cristiano Ronaldo, “in 2003”, and was full of praise: “In general terms, for me, he is the best player, because he has everything, the physique, the head… Okay, he’s not like (Lionel) Messi, who, one on one, can do unbelievable things, but, physically, he’s there, along with his head game. He’s powerful”.
“He’s 41 years old, he’s not the same player he was ten years ago, but at Real Madrid, I saw unbelievable things. If you look at the goals from 2010 to 2013 or 2015, he shot from everywhere, from the left, from 30 meters, from 20 meters, from 10 meters, and scored great goals. It was unbelievable. Of course, now, we have to accept that the player is not the same. He’s still doing well, but he’s no longer the player I saw at Real Madrid. He was very strong, and he fought with Messi to be the best players in the world for 15 years”, he reflected.
“Messi is more natural, one-on-one, technically… Taking the ball away from him is impossible, but Cristiano has the cross, the head game, he jumps well… I can’t say that Cristiano is better than Messi, but they are different. Messi, in some ways, is better, but Cristiano, in general, as a player, in shooting, in free kicks, in headers – in corner kicks it’s difficult to mark him – he was great”, finished.
“I think Cristiano Ronaldo wants to stay in the national team”
Finally, the former Portuguese international risked ‘betting’ on the moment when his compatriot will ‘hang up his boots’: “He will continue for as long as he wants. I think it will be another year. He has his goal. He’s there, it’s unbelievable. I think he wants to stay in the national team. In the World Cup, no, he’s already said it’s impossible.”
“He’s a star in Portugal. I think everyone at the FPF is happy with him, they understand that he’s a big name. He continues to score, to play… It’s difficult. When he wants to return, the door will be open, that’s what I feel. He will decide”, he concluded.
