Arturo Vidal has slammed the handling of the Cristiano Ronaldo crisis, after the Portugal captain left his national team's camp before the match against Denmark in the third round of the UEFA Nations League, which ended in a 4-2 win for Portugal.
Currently a Colo-Colo player, the 39-year-old aired his deep displeasure at the way things ended. A player of Ronaldo's stature leaving the national team in such a manner is, he reckons, unacceptable.
Speaking to Portuguese newspaper "A Bola" on Friday, Vidal said: "Honestly, this is shameful. A player like Cristiano, who is one of the four best players in the history of football, and everyone would place him first, second or third, leaving the national team in this way. This is very bad."
The Chilean midfielder, who has previously played for Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Inter Milan, aimed his criticism at coach Jorge Jesus. Ronaldo, he stressed, deserves treatment befitting his standing and everything he has given to Portuguese football.
Vidal added: "I think the coach came across very badly. Cristiano must be cared for and protected, as he is a player who has given everything for Portugal and made the national team one of the best teams in the world."
He continued: "A player like this cannot leave in this way. Cristiano has the right to do what he wants. What he has given to football and to the Portugal national team is that he took them to another level. There are coaches who do not respect these things."
The controversy over Ronaldo's departure from the camp rumbles on, with efforts under way to contain the crisis and restore the relationship between the national team captain and the coaching staff.