HomeUncategorizedPortugal’s coach wants people to leave Ronaldo alone

Portugal’s coach wants people to leave Ronaldo alone

Portugal head coach Fernando Santos wants people to leave his captain Cristiano Ronaldo alone.

Fernando Santos dropped Ronaldo to the bench in Portugal’s match against Switzerland in the last 16.

Ronaldo’s replacement Goncalo Ramos scored a hattrick in the 6-1 demolition of Switzerland.

Portugal without Ronaldo produced one of their best performances on that day to silence critics of the coach’s decision.

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Santos has sought to explain the situation with Ronaldo himself ahead of Saturday’s quarter-final against Morocco. He leaped to the defense of Portugal’s all-time record scorer.

“I think it’s high time to leave Ronaldo alone, ” said Santos.

“He has never told me that he wanted to leave our national team and I think it’s high time we stopped with this conversation, that we stop with the polemics.”

Explaining how he broke the news that Ronaldo would be dropped, Santos said. “I spoke to him after lunch on the day of the game and invited him into my office.

“For obvious reasons, Cristiano was not very happy about it as he has always been the starting player. He told me: ‘Do you really think it’s a good idea? But we had a normal conversation in which I explained my viewpoints and of course he accepted them.

“We had a frank and normal conversation.”

Ronaldo denied a report that claimed he had threatened to leave Portugal’s camp in Qatar.

Alfred Saiki
Alfred Saiki
A passionate sports journalist and administrator. I want to see the world.