Four-time FA Cup winner Mesut Ozil has leapt to the defence of Cristiano Ronaldo in a rant on Twitter. He has demanded that attention-seeking pundits now give him ‘more respect’.
Ozil has taken aim at supposed ‘negativity’ surrounding Ronaldo from former players using his name to stay relevant. The German also slammed the media who he feels, likewise, use the Portugal icon to ‘get clicks’. He went on to claim both try to make Ronaldo ‘look bad’.
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Ronaldo and Ozil formerly shared a dressing room at Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013. The pair featured 149 times together across all competitions and combined for 38 goals in those matches. Together, they also helped Los Blancos win La Liga in the 2011/12 season.
Mesut Ozil launches to defend Cristiano Ronaldo in a rant on Twitter
Ronaldo is now in Qatar trying to help Portugal win the World Cup for the first time as the Selecao’s captain. He started with a tepid performance against Ghana but scored a penalty to become the first player ever to net at five editions of the quadrennial FIFA tournament.
The 195-cap icon has since failed to score against Uruguay, South Korea and Switzerland as Portugal reached the quarter-finals. Although he did try and claim Bruno Fernande’s goal touched him before nestling in the Uruguay net. He also did not start against Switzerland.
Ronaldo will now look to score his first-ever goal in the knockout stage of a World Cup on Saturday against Morocco. His Qatar 2022 campaign also comes after Manchester United released the 37-year-old following the forward’s explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
Attention-seeking pundits want to make Cristiano Ronaldo ‘look bad’
Now, Ozil has leapt to defend his former teammate in a rant on Twitter calling out those who criticise Ronaldo. The Arsenal hero and current Istanbul Basaksehir midfielder also believes the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is now held to unrealistic standards based on his past form.
“I really don’t get where this constant negativity from the press about Cristiano comes from,” Ozil wrote. “The media is just trying to get clicks, and pundits who don’t have a career anymore just want to get attention with his big name and try to make him look bad.
“He is soon 38 years old. So, what’s the surprise that he doesn’t score 50 goals a season anymore? Every football fan out there should be happy to have seen him playing world-class football for 20 years.
“I don’t think anyone from the new generation will be able to match his numbers again. He will forever be in his own category. Everyone should show more respect to one of the greatest athletes in sports history.”
Arsenal ended the German and Portuguese’s successful spell together in 2013
Arsenal brought Ozil and Ronaldo’s run together to an end in 2013 when the Gunners paid Real Madrid £42.5m. The midfielder went on to lift four FA Cup crowns in north London as a club hero. He also won the 2014 World Cup with Germany in Brazil over a 92-cap career.
Ronaldo is now striving to follow Ozil by winning the World Cup for the first time at Qatar 2022. Portugal will take on Morocco in the quarter-finals this Saturday. But before the tie, a statement by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) has denied he threatened to quit.
The five-time Champions League winner has also sparked a raft of transfer gossip following his release by Manchester United. The Guardian reports that Saudi Arabian outfit Al Nassr has offered to pay him nearly €200m (£172m) a season (£330k-a/w) on a contract to 2025.
Meanwhile, 90min reports Newcastle United have informed Ronaldo’s entourage that they will not offer him a contract. The veteran forward’s agents had approached the Magpies to discuss a move before his departure from Old Trafford. But he does not fit the Toon’s plan.
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