Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t in the greatest of form currently, and Fabio Capello hasn’t pulled his punches when assessing the Juventus superstar.
The 34-year-old has been substituted in the last two games with his side needing to find a goal to secure a win, something that he hasn’t looked particularly thrilled about on either occasion.
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As noted by the Guardian, he was even said to have left the stadium early during the win over AC Milan on Sunday night, although Juve coach Maurizio Sarri has reiterated that Ronaldo is currently carrying a knee issue which could be impacting on his performances.
Nevertheless, Capello thinks there are bigger problems at hand namely what Ronaldo is no longer capable of doing on the pitch coupled with displaying the wrong attitude with his actions.
“[Cristiano] is a great champion, nobody argues with that, but he hasn’t dribbled past anyone in the last three years,” Capello told Sky Sport Italia, as quoted by the Independent.
“At the moment he isn’t at his best and it is normal to replace him. Sarri doesn’t need to be brave or show his personality to make that change.
“It’s not nice that he didn’t sit on the bench [after being taken off] and argued with Sarri.
“One has to be a champion even when he is replaced, not only when things are going well. He must respect his team-mates.”
Those are fair points from Capello, and he’s certainly in a position to know what he’s talking about given his history in the game both as a player and coach at the highest level possible.
Nevertheless, if Ronaldo did indeed leave the stadium early, it’s unclear if that was to do with the injury or not, and so there is perhaps an explanation behind that.
That said, the veteran forward could now perhaps be facing a fresh wave of talk that he is showing signs of decline, with only six goals and two assists in 14 appearances for Juventus so far this season. Naturally, he’ll be aware of that and will no doubt be itching to try and produce a response after the international break, assuming the knee issue isn’t serious and doesn’t continue to bother him.
