Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal career is over, and his exit has been branded a cowardly act that his ego deserves, according to a scathing opinion column.
The retirement announcement came hours before Portugal manager Jorge Jesus named a squad without the forward, following a public spat between the two.
Ronaldo accused of jumping before being pushed
The column claims Ronaldo knew the axe was swinging and jumped before he was pushed, comparing it to his behaviour inside the penalty box at Old Trafford. It argues that no one is fooled by the timing of the announcement and that the player lacked the humility to step aside years ago.
It describes the exit as fittingly pathetic, with Ronaldo bowing out as an irrelevant, self-obsessed figure while his team-mates breathe a sigh of relief.
Tottenham criticised over journalist ban push
The same column also criticises Tottenham Hotspur for demanding a Brazilian journalist be stripped of his credentials after he wore an Arsenal top and sang songs about Spurs in a social media video.
Tottenham are pushing to have the journalist banned from covering them, a move the column describes as an institutional tantrum and the most embarrassing thing to come out of North London.
The piece suggests the club is defending its honour but looks insecure, and notes the club has already spent £85 million on Savio this season.
