“There are people out there who hate me and who say I’m arrogant, vain and whatever. That’s all part of my success. I am made to be the best,” Cristiano Ronaldo said in 2016 interview with Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo. “We cannot live being obsessed with what other people think about us. It’s impossible to live like that. Not even God managed to please the entire world.”
Portugal's favourite son has never been one for humility. No one really read that much into his attitude back then, though, as he was still at the peak of his powers in a Real Madrid team sweeping aside all-comers in the Champions League.
But eight years on, there is no question that Ronaldo's character flaws are outweighing his impact on the pitch. He said his "work in Europe is done" when signing a record-breaking contract at Al-Nassr in January last year, but really had nowhere else to turn after an acrimonious end to his second spell at Manchester United.
Since then Ronaldo has gone to great lengths to try and prove he remains relevant, completely contradicting his past comments in the process. It seems that, now, nothing is more important to the 39-year-old than how he is perceived by the public, and that narcissistic mindset is threatening to ruin the final chapter of his illustrious career.
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