HAMBURG: Cristiano Ronaldo was consoled by his family after Portugal’s quarter-final exit at Euro 2024 which is also expected to be the end of his big event career spanning two decades.
Ronaldo’s sister, Katia Aveiro, posted photos on Instagram on Saturday, showing her, the other sister Elma Avairo, mother Dolores, and stepfather Jose Andrade together with the 39-year-old great in what appeared to be the team dressing room in the Hamburg stadium.
“Whether I laugh or cry, most important are the emotions I have experienced,” Katia Aveiro said in a caption.
Portugal went out on penalties against France after a 0-0 deadlock, and Aveiro also posted a picture of the family with French star Kylian Mbappe, who has named Ronaldo his idol since childhood.
Ronaldo left the Euros, having not scored at a big event for the first time in his career. He came closest in the last 16 against Slovenia when he had a penalty in extra time saved by Jan Oblak.
Portugal’s biggest sports paper, A Bola, gave him the lowest marks of the team for his quarter-final performance.
“The team improved their performance compared to the previous games. However, this did not apply to the captain. He was neither connected to his teammates nor was he able to assert himself,” A Bola said.
Britain’s The Guardian was more damning, speaking of “a galactic battle lost in the black hole of one man’s ego”.
Coach Roberto Martinez, meanwhile, said he stuck with Ronaldo for sporting reasons.
“He’s a role model for us as a national team. He wants to win every day. He wants to compete every day,” Martinez said. — dpa
