Zidane praises Ronaldo's career, declines comment on Portugal exit
In short
Zinedine Zidane described Cristiano Ronaldo's career as great and said Ronaldo did much for his own coaching results, according to TASS and RIA Novosti. RBC reported that Zidane said he “takes his hat off” to Ronaldo, called his achievements outstanding and said he was lucky to have worked with him at Real Madrid. RBC also reported that Zidane declined to comment on Ronaldo's departure from the Portugal national team ahead of a Nations League match.
Why it matters
The remarks come from a coach who worked with Ronaldo at Real Madrid and are reported by Russian state and business outlets, giving them weight mainly with football followers. RBC's reference to a Nations League match places the comments near Portugal's fixture, but the documents give no detail on what the match is or when it takes place. Beyond the football context, the documents offer no basis for wider significance.
Key facts
- Zinedine Zidane called Cristiano Ronaldo's career great, according to TASS, RBC and RIA Novosti. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Zidane said he “takes his hat off” to Ronaldo for an outstanding career, RBC reported. [ 2 ]
- Zidane said he was lucky to work with Ronaldo at Real Madrid, according to RBC. [ 2 ]
- Zidane said Ronaldo did much for his coaching results, RIA Novosti reported. [ 3 ]
- Zidane declined to comment on Ronaldo's departure from the national team ahead of a Nations League match, RBC reported. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether Zidane commented on Ronaldo's departure from the Portugal national team. Only RBC mentions this, and it says he declined to comment; TASS and RIA Novosti do not raise the subject, so the claim rests on a single source.
- When, where and on what occasion Zidane made the remarks. None of the documents states a location, date or setting for the comments.
- What Ronaldo's departure from the national team refers to and what its status is. The documents do not explain the departure beyond RBC's reference to it ahead of a Nations League match.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- TASS publishes a report that Zidane called Ronaldo's career great. [ 1 ]
- RBC publishes a report that Zidane “takes his hat off” to Ronaldo and declined to comment on his departure from the national team. [ 2 ]
- RIA Novosti publishes a report that Zidane said Ronaldo did much for his coaching results. [ 3 ]