Ronaldo stopped talking to me after I benched him: Ex-Portugal manager reveals
Former Portugal head coach Fernando Santos has opened up on his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Ronaldo was dropped by Santos for Portugal’s last-16 clash against Switzerland, a decision that raised multiple eyebrows.
As it turned out, Portugal didn’t need him and Goncalo Ramos’s hat-trick kept Ronaldo out of the team for their quarter-final against Morocco, which they lost 1-0.
“I would make the same decision! It was a strategic decision. First I have to think about the team.
“I thought strategically that it was the best decision. My technical team and I, as you understand, discussed this matter, it was not an easy decision.
“Even for issues personal, friendship, and so on, since it had a great weight. My trust in him was the same.
“When I told him on the morning of the game, that he would be left out, he misinterpreted my decision and we have not spoken since”
Ronaldo has bounced back from that disappointment to play a significant role for Roberto Martinez’s new-look Portugal squad as they prepare for next year’s Euros.
