Former Real Madrid and Italy forward Antonio Cassano has launched a scathing attack on Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming that despite his prolific goalscoring record, Ronaldo lacks the fundamental skills of the game.
Cassano, who played for Real Madrid from 2006 to 2008, a year before Ronaldo’s arrival, believes that Ronaldo’s obsession with scoring goals has come at the expense of his overall contribution to the team.
“Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t know how to play football,” Cassano asserted on the Viva El Futbol podcast. “He could score 3000 goals, I don’t give a fk. [Gonzalo] Higuain, [Sergio] Aguero, [Karim] Benzema, [Robert] Lewandowski, [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, and [Luis] Suarez knew how to link-up with the team. They knew how to do a lot of things, unlike Ronaldo whose only objective has always been to score.”
Cassano’s criticism stems from his belief that Ronaldo’s individualistic style of play hinders his ability to effectively collaborate with his teammates. He argues that players like Aguero, Lewandowski, and Benzema possess a more well-rounded skillset that allows them to contribute to the team’s overall performance.
Despite his criticism, Cassano acknowledges Ronaldo’s remarkable goalscoring prowess. Ronaldo recently scored his 900th goal for club and country, a testament to his exceptional finishing ability. However, Cassano maintains that Ronaldo’s goalscoring exploits do not compensate for his perceived deficiencies in other areas of the game.
Ronaldo’s recent move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr has sparked debate about his motivations and the twilight of his career. Cassano’s comments add fuel to the fire, suggesting that Ronaldo’s legacy may be tarnished by his perceived lack of all-around ability.
