Portugal manager Fernando Santos has said that there is no rift between he and Cristiano Ronaldo, despite dropping the forward for the 6-1 victory over Switzerland in the 2022 World Cup last 16.
Santos dropped Ronaldo to the bench for Benfica star Goncalo Ramos, who rewarded his manager’s faith with a stunning hat-trick.
Speaking after the game Santos quickly downplayed any suggestions of a rift with Ronaldo.
“There is no problem with our captain,” the 68-year-old Santos said.
“We’ve been friends for years. We spoke before the game and he had no issue with my decision. He’s an example.”
Santos was obviously pleased with the performance against the Swiss, but he stressed that they have to refocus quickly for the quarter-final against Morocco.
“It was a good performance, a great game, the players are to be congratulated,” he added.
“They had a very good performance, but now we have to go down to earth. It was great, it was excellent, but now we have one more game in four days,
“It was game strategy, all the players are different. It was what I thought that we would need for this match against Switzerland.”
Speaking after the game Ramos was full of praise for Ronaldo, the man he had usurped.
“He’s the captain, he’s the leader and we always look forward to playing side by side with him.”
Veteran central defender Pepe, who also scored in the game, also defended Ronaldo.
“Ronaldo is happy and totally focused. He knows the most important thing is the national team.”
