Miguel Albuquerque, the President of the Regional Government of Madeira, clarified his stance regarding Cristiano Ronaldo, the Al-Nassr FC striker, who left Portugal's training camp in Copenhagen on Wednesday.
The Portuguese national team is preparing to face Denmark this evening in the third round of the UEFA Nations League matches.
Portugal tops its group with two victories in two matches, while Denmark sits in third place with three points.
Albuquerque described Cristiano Ronaldo in a statement to the Portuguese newspaper "A Bola": "He is a victim of pettiness and narrow-mindedness."
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He added: "We support Ronaldo in Madeira. He is the most famous Portuguese person in the world and has contributed to promoting our country and enhancing its prestigious status throughout a professional career spanning more than 25 years."
He continued: "He is considered one of the most prominent Portuguese figures who helped achieve high standing for the country. He was the best player in the world during those years, won every possible title, and made an enormous contribution to the Portuguese national team."
Regarding Cristiano Ronaldo's decision to leave the Portugal camp in Denmark, he said: "What happened must have upset him, and he acted correctly. No one has the patience to deal with such pettiness aimed at diminishing his achievements and status. He is not entirely right either, but his legacy will remain beyond the influence of time."
He concluded: "What matters at this moment is that Ronaldo maintains what he has always been: a top-class player and a Portuguese icon like his country's name, who projected its image beyond borders in a way no one had done before. In thirty years, no one will know who the coach was, no one will know who led Portugal, and no one will know who commented on the matches, but they will know who Ronaldo is after thirty, forty, or fifty years. That is the difference between greatness and ordinary level."
