Discord in the treatment of Martínez to CR7? Ricardo Carvalho reveals everything

Ricardo Carvalho granted, this Monday, an extensive interview to John Obi Mikel, his former teammate, in Chelsea, in the ‘The Obi One Podcast‘, in which he ‘uplifted the veil’ regarding the reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo was present in almost all games during the period in which he acted as assistant coach of Roberto Martínez, in the main selection of Portugal.

“ In my opinion, he should have removed it. Now, on the other hand, Christian received all the merits during the past. Then Cristiano, if you know him, is a player who always wants to play. He succeeded because he wants to be there all the time, because he feels like he can score. It was hard for Roberto to take it out of his head, because even if he was tired and could not go back...”, he began by affirming.

“ He thinks for himself ‘A ball will come and I will score. One kick-free and I will score’. That's how he is. After that, we knew more or less that our period in national selection was going to end, and Cristiano was very important to us, so I think Roberto wanted to continue with it, because he gave us a lot during these three or four years. He didn’t want to let it go down,” he added.

The former central of FC Porto revealed, moreover, that, at the meeting of the second day of the World Cup group phase, in which Portugal swung Uzbekistan, by 5-0, Al Nassr's own advance refused to leave the lawn: “We were winning by 3-0, he had scored two goals. The coach was thinking of pulling it out, but Cristiano said ‘I 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 you kept working to get more success, more goals, to get to 1,000 goals in your career... He needs that. Then it's hard for a coach, because you can't support all the players. You are 26, and if you treat Cristiano like this, then it will be difficult for the other spearheads, who are there, waiting for a few minutes, and even for the team, but it is a difficult decision to make ", confessed.

“If it were me, I would realize that I had to come to a time when I had to leave. From my experience, when you get older, the later you get out, the worse, because you get tired, you don't get there in time... For me, he should have left early, 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 it, I think it was against Croatia, when Gonçalo [Ramos] scores the goal”, he completed.

“Cristiano Ronaldo is still well, but he is no longer a player I saw in Real Madrid”

Ricardo Carvalho also recalled that he came to the national team at the same time as Cristiano Ronaldo, “in 2003”, and did not spare him praise: “In general, for me, he is the best player, because he has everything, the physical, the head... All right, it's not like [Lionel] Messi, who, on one against one, can do unbelievable things, but physically, it's there, along with the head game. It is powerful”.

“ He's 41 years old, not the same player he was, ten years ago, but in Real Madrid, I saw unbelievable things. If they saw the goals from 2010 to 2013 or 2015, he would shoot from all sides, from the left, 30 meters, 20 meters, 10 meters, and score big goals. It was unbelievable. Of course, now we have to accept that the player is not the same. He's still good, but he's no longer a player I saw in Real Madrid. He was too strong, and he fought Messi to be the best. They were the best players in the world, for 15 years ", reflected.

“ Messi is more natural, on one against one, on the technical level... Taking his ball is impossible, but Cristiano has the cross, the head game, he jumps well... I can't say Christian is better than Messi, but they're different. Messi, in a way, is better, but Cristiano, in general, as a player, in the shot, in the free kicks, in the heads – in the corner kicks it is difficult to mark it – it was great ", he shot.

“ I think Cristiano Ronaldo wants to continue in the national selection”

Finally, the former Portuguese international risked ‘betting’ at the time the compatriot will ‘hang the boots’: “He will continue as long as he wants. I think it'll be another year. He has his goal. He's there, it's unbelievable. I think you want to stay in the national team. In the World Cup, no, he already said it is impossible”.

“It’s a star in Portugal. I think everyone at the FPF is satisfied with it, they realize it's a great name. Keep dialing, playing... It's hard. When you want to come back, the door will be open, that's how I feel. He will decide”, he concluded.