Maniche slams fake quote about Ronaldo: 'It's fabricating lies to generate hatred'

The wave of misinformation surrounding the friction between the Portugal national team, Jorge Jesus, and Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed another victim. On Sunday, Maniche took to his official Instagram account to call out a fake quote circulating on social media that falsely attributed harsh criticism of the Portuguese captain to him.

In an image stamped with the word "FAKE" in bold capital letters, the former midfielder shared the fabricated remark claiming the national team was "held hostage by a player who doesn't want anyone else to be a star." The former Portuguese international reacted with indignation.

"I never said this. Period. Someone decided to make it up, slap my face on it, and spread it as if it were true," fumed the former player, who strongly condemned the misuse of his likeness. "This isn't opinion or journalism. It's fabricating lies to generate clicks, hatred, and division at the expense of the Seleção, at a time when they need anything but this."

Maniche also stressed that he always voices his opinions directly: "I give my views live on air, with my head held high and under my own name. Anyone who wants to know what I think should listen to me, not fake accounts."

Concluding his post, the former European champion urged fans and digital users to show responsibility: "To those who shared it in good faith: verify the source before hitting 'share'. A lie only spreads because someone passes it along."