Carragher condemns Ferdinand’s defence of Ronaldo as media folly
Jamie Carragher has publicly rebuked Rio Ferdinand, accusing him of embarrassing himself by defending Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portuguese forward walked out of the national team camp following a dispute with manager Jorge Jesus. The criticism came in an interview on The Overlap Daily, where Carragher warned that loyalty should not excuse indefensible conduct.
Carragher attacks media allies
Carragher said: “People think it’s good to be close to people in the game, but this is where it becomes a problem.” He added: “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.” He concluded that “you can know someone and try to look after them, but you cannot defend the indefensible.”
Ronaldo’s decision to leave the Portuguese national team camp sparked a media storm this week. The veteran forward walked out after a row with manager Jorge Jesus. He has since returned to club duties with Al‑Nassr.
Ferdinand’s defence of Ronaldo
Rio Ferdinand, who played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United, has emerged as one of the striker’s most vocal supporters in the debate. Ferdinand’s comments have drawn criticism from former Liverpool defender Carragher, who described them as “embarrassing”. The former England captain’s involvement underscores how personal connections can fuel public disputes.
Gary Neville also weighed in, suggesting that Ronaldo’s lengthy statement may have worsened the situation. Neville said: “My view was that I would never criticise Ole Gunnar Solskjær because he conducted himself with great class… With Cristiano, it’s difficult because I love him, but I can’t watch what happened at United in his second period and then see him make a statement like that without saying something.” He added that Ronaldo must be “pulled up” and told his remarks are unacceptable.
Carragher also praised the Portuguese manager for standing his ground, arguing that a player with a billion pounds in the bank should not dictate to a federation or manager what they should say.
The story, filed under Sport by Daniel Orme, appears as a Sports Writer piece dated 19:13 on 09 Oct 2026. The article includes View 2 Images and invites readers to join ’s Facebook page and WhatsApp community for further updates.