It’s safe to say they won’t be getting Christmas cards
Cristiano Ronaldo is usually a bitter man and this is no different with a man he has refused to speak to since the World Cup.
Ronaldo and Portugal had a disappointing performance in Qatar as they lost to Morocco in the quarter-finals, with him relegated to a supporting role despite being captain.
He was eliminated in the round of 16 against Switzerland and was replaced by Goncalo Ramos, who scored a hat-trick in the 6-1 win.
Ramos started the next game, and although Ronaldo came on as a substitute, he failed to turn the situation around and left the field in tears.
His head coach at the World Cup was Fernando Santos, but due to poor performances he was sacked and replaced by Roberto Martinez, who breathed new life into the Portuguese national team.
Santos subsequently took up a role with the Polish national team but was also relieved of that role, but after leaving Portugal all ties between Ronaldo and Santos were severed.
The pair have not spoken since the end of the World Cup, but Santos admits he still loves Ronaldo very much and would answer if he called.
“We haven’t spoken since I came from Qatar,” he told to the ballpass balloon.
“On the morning of the game, when I went to explain that he wasn’t going to play and why he wasn’t playing, he misunderstood.
“From my side the relationship is the same, he is still like a son to me. The day the phone rings, he knows I am always here.
“He is the best in the world. But he also went through a very difficult time in his career. The second half of 2022, these six months were terrible.
“That moment really affected him. He was out of rhythm. “It was a question of strategy. “
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