‘He made me win incredible trophies, must salute his great career’: Zinedine Zidane hails Cristiano Ronaldo

Paris: France head coach Zinedine Zidane has voiced strong support for Cristiano Ronaldo amid ongoing debate surrounding the Portuguese forward’s recent departure from his national team camp, insisting the veteran forward deserves proper recognition for a storied career.

Ronaldo became the center of public focus after leaving Portugal's squad ahead of their Nations League fixtures following reported friction with team management—an incident that has renewed discussion regarding the 41-year-old’s international trajectory.

Zidane, who managed Ronaldo during Real Madrid's historic run of three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles from 2016 to 2018, offered a firm defense of his former star player.

"Cristiano Ronaldo made me win incredible trophies. Hats off to you, Cris. We must salute his great career the right way. I was lucky to have him with me. I have a lot of respect for all my players and especially for Cristiano,” Zidane told reporters during a press conference.

Also read: ‘Childhood idol’: Rafael Leão opens up on taking over Cristiano Ronaldo's No. 7 shirt for Portugal  

Transition to International Management

Zidane's comments come as he embarks on a new stint as France manager. His initial run with Les Bleus has produced positive results, including away victories over Turkey and Belgium alongside a home draw against Italy in Paris.

Transitioning from daily club operations to international duties, the former World Cup winner detailed how his managerial rhythm has shifted while maintaining his core approach.

“Perhaps the difference is that at a club it never stops; it is day to day, it is very all-consuming. I loved doing that, and now I have another side to it, and I will try to do it this way, which will be a little different. But in any case, the desire to work well around my team is the same,” Zidane noted. (IANS)