The 2024 European Championship is fast approaching, and as has been the case for the past twenty years, much of the attention will be on Cristiano Ronaldo, often regarded as Portugal’s greatest footballer.
At 39 years old, Ronaldo has not netted an international goal since November 2023 and has occasionally been replaced by the young striker Goncalo Ramos.
In an exclusive interview with IANS, India’s all-time leading scorer, Sunil Chhetri, shared his thoughts on Ronaldo’s role and significance in the Portuguese team ahead of the tournament.
“I hope Ronaldo starts as many games as possible. I would love to see him. I think if there’s one team that can keep him as a number nine and not expect too much defensive work, I don’t mean that he should not or that he does not but I’m saying can expect less is Portugal,” Chhetri told IANS.
“It is a star-studded team they’re very good at keeping the ball, more than often they’re dominating. They are dominant when it comes to keeping the ball more than often. They have some top players so they can afford to have Ronaldo on the box,” he added.
Ronaldo is one of only three players globally to have scored more international goals than Chhetri. He has been a cornerstone for Portugal, leading them to victory in the 2016 Euro Championship.
“He might not be doing as many quick turnarounds and quick defensive work, but when you get half a chance, there probably aren’t many players in the world as lethal as him. So why not? So I think as a fan, somebody who has learned so much from him the last 20 years, I hope we get to see more of him on the pitch as far as playing 11 is concerned.
“I’m pretty sure the coach is going to pick the best one, but having Ronaldo always gives you an edge because half a chance is a goal when it comes to him,” the former Indian skipper said.
Chhetri is serving as an expert panelist on Sony Sports Network’s studio show Football Extra for UEFA Euro 2024.
Catch UEFA Euro 2024 live from June 15, starting at 12:30 AM IST, on Sony Sports Ten 2 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD & HD (Tamil/Telugu), and Sony Sports Ten 5 SD & HD (Malayalam/Bengali).
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