The Ghana manager said he ‘didn’t care’ about Cristiano Ronaldo when asked about him ahead of their World Cup clash against Portugal.
Otto Addo’s side will face the superstar in their Group H opener in Qatar on Thursday – but the former Borussia Dortmund player says the drama surrounding Ronaldo has not been a distraction.
Ronaldo dominated World Cup headlines after an explosive interview for TalkTV in which he made a series of astonishing claims about Manchester United, leading to the termination of his contract by mutual consent.
There will be plenty of interest in how the Portuguese star will play in Qatar, with many suggesting his antics may have been a distraction for his teammates.
But the Ghana boss made it clear that his team hadn’t even given their opponent’s drama a second thought.
“I don’t know and to be honest I don’t care,” he laughed when asked by reporters about the Portuguese star.
“It’s not our problem and I don’t think it’s a big problem. Everyone wants to win.
“No matter what happens, it’s a big stage, a big game at World Cup level, so I don’t think normally it can distract anyone.”
Addo is not alone in insisting that Ronaldo’s exit to Manchester United was not a distraction.
Portugal team-mate and Wolves star Neves claimed that Ronaldo hadn’t caused any kind of stir in their World Cup camp, saying: “There’s no controversy in the dressing room.”
Meanwhile, Portugal boss Fernando Santos has been angered by the amount of questions asked of Ronaldo’s former Man United team-mate Bruno Fernandes about the situation.
You can listen to all the action as Cristiano Ronaldo plays his first game since leaving Man United live on talkSPORT, with Portugal kicking off against Ghana scheduled for 4pm.
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