Vingada to Koooora: Ronaldo must be treated like everyone else, his crisis resembles what happened with Salah

Nelo Vingada, the former Portugal manager, believes that Cristiano Ronaldo, the team's captain, does not deserve "special treatment", pointing to the similarity between his dispute with Jorge Jesus and the clash between Mohamed Salah, captain of the Egyptian national team, and his coach Hossam Hassan.

Ronaldo caused a huge stir in Portugal when he walked out of the national team camp last Wednesday, ahead of the Nations League meeting with Denmark, in protest at being left out against Norway. Jesus had poured fuel on the fire with his fiery declaration that he was "the one who takes the first and final decision on the line-up".

"Both were at fault"

Jesus had promised Ronaldo he would feature against Norway and asked him to warm up in the second half. The player kept going for around 30 minutes. In the end, he never got on.

Did Jesus get it wrong with his captain? Vingada told Kooora exclusively: "When we are facing a crisis of this scale, my view and my experience tell me that both parties bear responsibility, and that something happened in the wrong way."

"What we know is that the coach said Ronaldo would play for 25 or 30 minutes," he added. "In my view, it is difficult and not a good idea to make such promises, because no one knows what might happen during the match."

The 73-year-old continued: "The problem is that Ronaldo kept warming up for 30 minutes, and the coach did not bring him into the match, nor did he even direct a single simple word to him."

Vingada turned his fire on Ronaldo too. "When he left the pitch (angrily), it was certain that a big problem would occur, and so both parties bear responsibility, given their positions. Both took steps that led to the confrontation."

No exceptions in the national team

Does Ronaldo deserve special treatment with Portugal, given his long history? Vingada explained: "Ronaldo, as a player and a captain, bears greater responsibilities, but in the end he must be treated like the others."

"Of course, though, he deserves, not special treatment, but a different relationship, given his standing and everything he has given," he added.

Arturo Vidal, the former Chile star, had claimed that "Ronaldo has the right to do whatever he wants". The veteran Portuguese coach was unimpressed: "This is the opinion of a person who also wanted to obtain special privileges when he was a player."

Vingada, who led Portugal for six months in 1993, continued: "The big players and the stars must be role models for others. On a professional level, no one can criticise Ronaldo or diminish what he has given. As for me, I see that Arturo Vidal is not providing a good analysis of the situation."

"Ronaldo is no longer what he was"

Press reports suggested Jesus was weighing up a public apology to Ronaldo. Vingada responded: "I will talk about what I would have done had I been in Jesus's position. In the past I was head coach of all categories of the national teams, and I sometimes faced some problems or differences of opinion regarding certain situations."

Having previously managed Egypt's Zamalek and Morocco's Wydad, the coach continued: "I believe that straight after what happened between Jesus and Ronaldo, had the two sat down and spoken alone, they could have avoided this very big problem."

Is Ronaldo now a burden on Portugal? Vingada explained: "Ronaldo now, of course, plays in a different way from before. He has greater experience, but he has become less fast. Therefore, it is important for us to extract from him the best he can offer. And I believe that had the two parties spoken frankly and openly, they could have avoided this situation."

Pressed on whether Ronaldo must accept a place on the bench, he commented: "I want to make clear that the coach's decision on how to communicate with the player or speak to him must be done in a private setting, and there is no need to go out to the media and provide explanations."

"The coach said here that he spoke with the player and that Ronaldo accepted his point of view," he went on, "but during the match the coach did not abide by what had been agreed."

"Messi avoided Ronaldo's trap"

Then came the contrast between how Lionel Messi bade farewell with Argentina and how Ronaldo is going with Portugal. "Messi was always rarely in the spotlight and has a different personality," Vingada said. "His lack of presence on social media also spared him many potential problems."

He wrapped up that point by telling Kooora: "Now, Messi and the people around him have taken a good decision in giving him a wonderful farewell from the national team. Unfortunately, even if things improve for Ronaldo at this stage, it will not be at the same level."

Does that make Messi smarter than Ronaldo? He explained: "Messi and the people around him were more realistic, and took all the steps in a way that suited the player's wishes and standing, as well as the standing of the Argentina national team."

"Ronaldo and Salah are living the same crisis"

Comparing the situations of Ronaldo and Salah, Vingada "does not see a big difference".

The former technical director of the Egyptian Football Association explained: "We have two great players and two wonderful people, who are living similar circumstances, and the personalities of Hossam Hassan and Jorge Jesus are similar in the same way."

Salah walked out of the Egypt camp after the match against Angola, unhappy at being substituted after 60 minutes and at Hossam Hassan's remarks about the injured goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy, according to Egyptian reports.

Hassan insisted Salah would return for the friendly against South Africa, claiming his absence against South Sudan was simply to avoid "artificial turf". The Trabzonspor star then flew to Turkey to rejoin his club's training, which only confirmed the reports of a rift with the Egypt coach.

Vingada signed off his remarks to Kooora: "I hope everyone learns from what happened here in Portugal, and that it does not happen again anywhere else. Football, and these wonderful players, must always remain in our memory for all the exceptional things they have provided on the pitch."