Thursday, 31st October, 2013
Former Benfica and Atletico Madrid winger Paulo Futre has asked for FIFA president Sepp Blatter's resignation following his comments on Cristiano Ronaldo.
Blatter yesterday apologised for his "hairdresser" joke about Ronaldo, made during a speech given at Oxford University last week.
The FIFA chief also likened Ronaldo to "a commander", and then mimicked a military march, actions which did not go down well with Real Madrid.
And despite the apology, Futre, who also played for West Ham, has raged against the Swiss and even questioned Portugal's fate in the World Cup playoffs owing to what he called Blatter's hatred of Ronaldo.
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"Blatter should resign immediately," former Portugal international Futre told Marca. "It is not possible for someone to attack one of the symbols of football and get away like that.
"These statements explain the reasons why Cristiano does not have more Ballon d'Or awards. This trophy is a farce. If I had any doubts, they have completely dissipated.
"I am also concerned that Portugal will unfairly lose the playoffs in the battle for a World Cup ticket. Such is the hatred of Blatter towards Ronaldo.
"There are no words for what Sepp Blatter said about Ronaldo. I am angry. Cristiano is not only a great football player who deserves respect, he is a great person. There is a total lack of respect [from Blatter].
"From now on, Blatter will be a persona-non-grata in Portugal. It is best for him not to go there."
The row comes just days after FIFA's shortlist for the Ballon d'Or awards were released, which includes both Ronaldo and four-time winner Lionel Messi.
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