Former Portugal manager Paulo Bento has opened up on his relationship with football star Cristiano Ronaldo. He shared that their relationship suffered a blow while they worked together in the national team because the manager stuck to his principles irrespective of whether he was dealing with a star player.
Coach Paulo Bento managed Portugal between 2010 and 2014, when their star forward, Cristiano Ronaldo was at his prime. However, during their time together, their relationship deteriorated.
During a recent chat on the Hora Bolas programme on Antena 1, the former Portuguese manager said that his relationship with Cristiano became worse over time.
Paulo said, "If you asked me if the relationship was the same as at the beginning, it wasn't. If to maintain a relationship I have to give up principles... no. It's not about stubbornness, it's about conviction."
He continued, "They pay coaches to make decisions. If we let others make decisions for us, we are being dishonest with those who pay us; we are being paid to make decisions and we don't."
Paulo believes that a player should respect boundaries and not try to overrule decisions made by the manager. Even as a player, he said, that he never challenged a coach's decision.
He said, "As a player, I never asked any coach why I wasn't playing. But that doesn't stop them from asking me and me trying to explain. There are things that have boundaries, and leaders shouldn't be afraid to have well-defined hierarchies. The players have to know who has the power in the locker room. From the moment they don't know, things are over or close to being over."
Even when dealing with star players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo refused to let go of his managerial principles, although that affected his dynamic with the footballer.
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