Jamie Carragher slams Rio Ferdinand for defending Cristiano Ronaldo

Jamie Carragher has launched a scathing attack on Rio Ferdinand regarding the latter's stance on Cristiano Ronaldo. The Al-Nassr forward has been at the centre of a heated controversy after abruptly leaving the Portugal national team camp following a disagreement with the head coach.

Ferdinand, a former Manchester United teammate of Ronaldo, has remained fiercely loyal to the star throughout the saga. This prompted Carragher to argue on The Overlap Daily that personal connections are clouding the judgement of high-profile media figures.

People like Piers Morgan and Rio Ferdinand, who are big people in the media whether you like them or not, are embarrassing themselves with the nonsense that they’re coming out with because they know Ronaldo. You can know someone and try to look after them, but you cannot defend the indefensible. Jamie Carragher

Gary Neville also contributed to the conversation, suggesting that Ronaldo's detailed public statement regarding the incident only served to worsen the situation. While Neville acknowledged his personal affection for the player, he insisted that Ronaldo must be held accountable and praised the national team manager for standing his ground against player power.