Mesut Ozil and Cristiano Ronaldo were teammates together at Real Madrid (Picture; Getty)
Mesut Ozil has jumped to the defence of his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo and urged his critics to show more respect.
The Portuguese superstar enjoyed one of the most prolific spells of his career alongside Ozil at Real Madrid, benefiting from the German playmaker’s conveyor belt of assists.
Ronaldo has looked a shadow of the player he was during his time in the Spanish capital this season, or even the one who scored 24 goals last term for Manchester United.
The 37-year-old arrived at the World Cup following his acrimonious departure from the Premier League giants and his fortunes have hardly improved while on international duty in Qatar.
After he was dropped and forced to watch his replacement, Goncalo Ramos, score a hat-trick in Tuesday’s 6-1 win over Switzerland, Ronaldo was forced to deny accusations from Portuguese media that we was ready to walk out on the squad.
Ozil is no stranger, himself, to acrimonious World Cup campaigns having been scapegoated by Germany’s media following their calamitous group stage exit in Russia four years ago that prompted his international retirement.
And in response to the treatment of Ronaldo and ridicule he has been subjected to, former Arsenal star Ozil has hit out at the succession of media pundits who he believes are using his old teammate’s name to boost their own profile.
Cristiano Ronaldo was dropped from Portugal’s starting XI in the last 16 tie against Switzerland (Picture: Getty)
He wrote on Instagram: ‘I really don’t get where this constant negativity from the press about Cristiano comes from.
‘The Media is just trying to get clicks, and pundits who don’t have a career anymore just want to get attention with his big name and try to make him look bad.
‘He is soon 38 years old – so what’s the surprise that he doesn’t score 50 goals a season anymore?
‘Every football fan out there should be happy to have seen him playing world class football for 20 years – I don’t think anyone from the new generation will be able to match his numbers again.
‘He will forever be in his own category.’
MORE : Portuguese FA respond to claims Cristiano Ronaldo threatened to leave World Cup after being axed
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He is soon 38 years old – so what’s the surprise that he doesn’t score 50 goals a season anymore?’
