he qatar world cup 2022 This is probably one of the most unpleasant memories cristiano ronaldo. All expectations of the previous round and of being able to lead the team to its best ever performance were eclipsed by the quarter-finals and him on the bench. Nearly a year after that moment passed, Fernando Santos explainswho was the coach at that time? He made the decision to remove him from the starting lineup.
CR7 He arrived in Qatar against a complicated backdrop. He has had a complicated season with the team after losing one of her twins when Georgina Rodríguez was born (currently under investigation). Manchester United And he wasn’t even included in the starting lineup by Erik ten Hag. He escaped to the national team, but it ended up being another hell.
Cristiano Ronaldo provided all the sparkle on the bench.
Despite starting in the group stages, he scored just once in three games, leading Fernando Santos to suggest some changes should be made for the last-16 tie against Switzerland. In the equation you proposed, The former Real Madrid player had to leave.
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Cristiano Ronaldo’s reaction when he found out he would be a substitute against Switzerland
There is no doubt that this was not an easy decision for the strategist, even more so if you take into account his very good relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo. Nonetheless, D.T. He chose what he thought was best for the team and didn’t hesitate.
“On the morning of the game, When I went to explain to him that I wasn’t going to play and why I wasn’t going to play, he misunderstood me. I understand your reaction.In my case the relationship is the same and He is still like a son or a brother to me.”, he said in an interview with Portuguese newspaper A Bola.
The problem with CR7 is that his replacement is Goncalo RamosIn the round of 16, he scored three goals in a 6-1 victory over Switzerland. “The game was so good that there is no point in changing anything for the next game,” Santos admitted. that’s why, He started again as a substitute against Morocco.
Portugal missed the World Cup match against Morocco.
The expectation of “Bichu” was to surpass the fourth place achieved in 2006, but even if he barely made it into the second half against Morocco, he could not save the defeat and elimination in the quarter-finals, like a dagger for his career, especially since Qatar could be his last World Cup.
Santos somehow tried to explain how Cristiano got to the World Cup: “The second half of 2022It was a terrible six months, both mentally and physically. It all started with a tragedy that befell him and his family, something none of us wanted to experience. That moment had a big impact on him, and then there was the sports part. He didn’t play in the preseason and didn’t practice for two months. “I don’t have game rhythm.”
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What’s the relationship like between Cristiano Ronaldo and Fernando Santos?
There is no doubt that that moment completely affected the relationship between the two and marked the beginning of an ins and outs. After Qatar, Fernando Santos did not continue to coach the team; CR7 regained ownership and visibility under the leadership of Roberto Martínez.
“We have not spoken since I came from Qatar. We have a very close relationship both sportingly and personally. What happened has nothing to do with it. “It was a technical decision,” admitted Fernando Santos, who also assured No regrets expressed his decision and opened the door to reconciliation: “The day the phone rings, you always know I’ll be here. This is guaranteed. I know it hurts you, but that’s life. “
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