Former Portugal boss Fernando Santos claims Cristiano Ronaldo no longer talks to him after dropping the Al Nasr star ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
- Cristiano Ronaldo misses 2022 World Cup knockout rounds
- Portugal suffers heavy defeat to Morocco in qualifying stage
- Santos reveals forward has yet to speak to him
what happened? The veteran striker scored just once in Qatar’s three group games, leading to Santos’ unceremonious decision to drop him for the last 16 against Switzerland. Current PSG player Goncalo Ramos came on and scored a hat-trick in the 6-1 win to secure his place in the quarter-finals against Morocco, with Ronaldo missing. But Portugal struggled in the face of the biggest surprise of the World Cup, crashing out 1-0 with Ronaldo coming on but not playing.
what did they say: Santos, who was sacked shortly after the Middle East Championship, revealed the decision had a lasting impact on the pair’s relationship.i have already told to the ball (pass balloon): “We haven’t spoken since I came from Qatar. On the morning of the match, when I went to explain that he wasn’t going to play and why he wasn’t playing, he misunderstood. The relationship from my side is the same, he He’s still like a son to me. The day the phone rings, he knows I’m always here.”
Big picture view: The 38-year-old has firmly returned to form under new manager Roberto Martinez, scoring nine goals in seven European qualifying games since the start of the year. But despite the improved fortunes, Santos insists his decision to drop Ronaldo was the right one. The manager highlighted the slump he was suffering at the time, which was consistent with his turbulent exit from Manchester United.
“He’s the best in the world,” Santos insisted. “But there was a very difficult moment in his career. He had a bad six months in the second half of 2022. That moment really affected him. He was out of rhythm. It was a strategic problem.”
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What’s next for Ronaldo? Al Nasr performed well in the Portuguese’s absence in midweek but there is no doubt he will be ready for Saturday’s clash at Alvida.