Stuart Pearce says Portugal stars ‘don’t trust’ Cristiano Ronaldo after Czechia win at Euro 2024 | Football

Roberto Martinez’s side kicked off their Euros campaign with a nervy comeback victory on Tuesday night in Leipzig.

After dominating the game, the Czech’s took a shock lead through Lukas Provod’s stunner.

Minutes later, the score was level again after Robin Hranac’s unfortunate own goal but the underdogs kept Portugal at bay and looked on course for a point.

That was until the 92nd minute when Francisco Conceicao found the back of the net just 111 seconds after coming off the bench.

There had been much debate in the build-up to the tournament over whether Ronaldo would be a help or a hinderance to his side with the 39-year-old no longer at the height of his powers, especially after 18 months in the Saudi Pro League.

In the first-half, the legendary forward had plenty of chances to score but couldn’t convert them, with opportunities dwindling after the break.

Commentating on talkSPORT, former England star Pearce suggested that Ronaldo’s teammates perhaps lacked confidence in their captain and talisman.

He said: ‘This might sound ridiculous, but [maybe] they don’t trust Ronaldo enough to keep supplying him with the ball, that type of thing.

‘There’s been times in the games where he’s shown to feet and they’ve not popped the ball into his feet.

‘Ronaldo peeled off in an inside-right position. I’m thinking, if this was ten years ago, you slide it in front of him and you know full well he’s going to get there and score.

‘He [Silva] denied the pass, and I found that quite strange.’

England legend Alan Shearer conversely suggested that Portugal were too reliant on CR7, saying on BBC Sport: ‘Sometimes Portugal were in good positions, but they were just looking for Cristiano Ronaldo, and there was better options on.’

Ronaldo thought he had set up a late winner when his headed effort hit the post, with the rebound turned in by Diogo Jota, but the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star was offside.

Regardless of not scoring, it was still a positive performance from the captain, with Spain legend Cesc Fabregas saying on BBC Sport: ‘Whatever you do, if Ronaldo plays well or the team plays well, he always finds a chance.

‘He takes care of himself to another level. He needs just one little moment of space to create a chance.

‘His overall play has been much better than the last couple of years. He’s always in front of the defender, he is unique.’

More to follow…

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