World Cup 2022 – Ronaldo benched by Santos: “Coach, do you really think it’s a good idea?”

Portugal will play Saturday, against Morocco, its place in the last four of the World Cup. But how often, the news of the 2016 European champion revolves around Cristiano Ronaldo and his moods. Substitute against Switzerland in the round of 16 (6-1), spectator of the hat-trick of his replacement Gonçalo Ramos, the Portuguese striker has been the subject of several rumors since. Thursday, Record thus advanced that CR7 had “threatened to leave”, forcing the Portuguese Federation to deny.

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A subject that obviously occupied a good part of Fernando Santos’ press conference on Friday. “Leave Ronaldo alone, he doesn’t deserve this, for everything he has done for Portuguese football,” the Portuguese coach asked reporters. But the 68-year-old technician has agreed to return with some transparency to the Portugal-Switzerland forward.

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Cristiano Ronaldo and Fernando Santos

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“I had a conversation with Ronaldo, it would have been bad if I hadn’t had it”, he explained. Santos thus invited his striker to his office after lunch. “It was just on my part. I don’t do it with everyone, it’s true, but he’s the captain of the team, with the radiance he has, for what he gave to Portuguese football, for what he represents… Naturally, he deserved it.”

Cristiano, naturally, was not very happy

The speech was simple: the former Madrid player would not start, but would be launched during the meeting. “I thought the game was going to be very complicated and that, in the second half, Cristiano’s entry could unlock the game.he justified. Cristiano, naturally, was not very happy. He has always played as a starter, except against Spain. It’s normal that he wasn’t very happy and that he said ‘But coach, do you really think it’s a good idea?'”

Cristiano Ronaldo

Credit: Getty Images

Then, after the time of the summary of the exchange, there was that of the defense of his player. “He never told me he wanted to leave the national team”he assured in particular. “He shouted in the locker room, as usual. He went out with all the players to warm up, he jumped on all the goals with his teammates. There is even a moment when he is applauding with João Mário. In the end, he was the one who called his teammates to thank the fans, and the only thing they noticed was that he left alone.” This is the complexity of the Ronaldo case.

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