Uzbekistan head coach Cannavaro praises Ronaldo
Fabio Cannavaro, the head coach of the Uzbekistan national team, shared his thoughts after the match against Portugal as part of the World Cup. Zamin.uz reported on this.
The Italian specialist highly praised the performance of the opposing team's captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, and urged the legendary striker not to retire. In this match, Portugal won 5-0, dealing a serious blow to Uzbekistan's dreams of reaching the next stage.
Goal.com reports on this. In an interview with the Jogo publication, Cannavaro admitted that his pupils were under great pressure from the very beginning of the game.
Two goals conceded in the opening minutes of the match disrupted the plans of the Uzbekistan national team. Although there were attempts to regain control during the game and even one goal was disallowed, Portugal's high level of skill spoke for itself.
"Ronaldo is a clever predator inside the penalty area." Cannavaro did not forget to emphasize that he had warned his players to be cautious of Ronaldo before the match.
"I told the players that if we gave Cristiano Ronaldo even a single centimeter of space, it would be over. That is exactly what happened, and he scored two goals."
"The Portuguese players play specifically for him; at his age, he moves very intelligently inside the penalty area," the coach added. According to Goal.com, Cristiano Ronaldo set a historical record thanks to the goals scored in this match.
He became the first male footballer to score in six different World Cups. Additionally, he increased his total goals in the tournament to 10, surpassing the record of Eusebio, the greatest goalscorer in Portugal's history.
These achievements served as a fitting response to the criticism Ronaldo has faced in recent weeks. After the match, Fabio Cannavaro took the opportunity to speak with the 41-year-old star on the pitch.
The former Italian defender did not hide his amazement at Ronaldo's physical condition. "He has entered football history, he will remain immortal, but despite this, he continues to play with such passion."
"I told him to play for a few more years and enjoy football," says Cannavaro. After the match, Cristiano Ronaldo posted "We are here" on his Instagram page, reminding the world that he is still at a high level.
For the Uzbekistan national team, this defeat complicated the situation in the group, but playing against world-class stars will undoubtedly be a great experience for the team.
