Cristiano Ronaldo irked Fernando Santos with his reaction to being substituted against South Korea. Picture: PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA, AFP
Durban – Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has found himself on the wrong side of yet another coach following his outburst during his team's defeat to South Korea last week.
The 37-year-old forward was having what many might describe as a “stinker” up to that point and was subsequently substituted by Portugal coach Fernando Santos, but his angry reaction rubbed the 68-year-old the wrong way.
Santos, who guided Portugal to the Euro 2016 title and the Uefa Nations League crown in 2019, could not hide his displeasure at Ronaldo's reaction, refusing to confirm whether he would let him captain the team in their round-of-16 clash with Switzerland on Tuesday.
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“Have I seen the images? Yes, I didn’t like it, not at all. I didn’t like it. I really didn't like it. But from that moment onwards everything is finished regarding that issue. These matters are resolved behind closed doors. It’s resolved. Full stop on this matter and now everyone is focused on tomorrow’s match," Santos said.
🚨 Portugal manager Fernando Santos is angry with Cristiano Ronaldo, he could lose the captaincy pic.twitter.com/toKNTb3JJK
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) December 5, 2022
“I only decide who is going to be captain when I reach the stadium. I still don’t know what the line-up will be. That’s what I’ve always done and that’s what I’m always going to do and it’s going to be the same today. The other topic is solved."
However, according to Ronaldo himself, his reaction was not a consequence of his substitution but rather a reaction to an altercation he had had with South Korea player Cho Gue-sung, who asked him to speed up his exit from the field.
"Before my substitution, one of their players was telling me to leave quickly. I told him to shut up, he has no authority, and he doesn’t have to say anything," said Ronaldo.
The enigmatic Ronaldo has been embroiled in controversy for the last month leading up to the World and has had to block out all the “negativity” that surrounds him as he seeks to win his first World Cup title.
@SmisoScribe
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