Ronaldo threatened to quit World Cup after Portugal dropping
Ronaldo threatened to quit World Cup in tense talks after Portugal dropping in their 6-1 win against Switzerland
Ronaldo threatened to quit World Cup in tense talks after Portugal dropping in their 6-1 win against Switzerland.
After being benched for Portugal’s 6-1 victory over Switzerland on Tuesday night, Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly threatened to withdraw from the World Cup.
The 37-year-old has had difficulty thus far in the tournament in Qatar, scoring only once.
And when the Euro 2016 champions play Morocco in the following round of the competition, he is likely to be benched once more.
In their opening World Cup match, Portugal defeated Ghana 3-2 thanks in part to a penalty goal from Ronaldo, who had a solid tournament debut.
However, the 37-year-old has had difficulty since then and was benched for his team’s thrilling victory over Switzerland after upsetting Fernando Santos with his behavior following getting hooked against South Korea.
On Tuesday, Ronaldo acted as a motivator as Portugal secured a spot in the World Cup quarterfinals. He didn’t stay to watch the celebrations on the field, though, and he left the field right after full-time.
After having tough discussions behind the scenes with Santos, Ronaldo allegedly threatened to leave the competition, according to Record, via the Daily Mail.
After throwing his toys out of the pram after being hooked in his side’s 2-1 defeat to South Korea, Ronaldo sat down with Santos for talks.
He made it clear he was unhappy at being dropped and threatened to walk out, in a development that would have rocked the whole of world football.
The rest of the players in Santos’ camp know that Ronaldo will be in the spotlight these days amid his waning performances.
But they’re refusing to let that cloud their attempts to win the golden and glittering trophy, with their sights set firmly on the mission ahead.
Ronaldo was replaced by Goncalo Ramos for the match with Switzerland and the youngster made the most of the opportunity, netting a hat-trick to make the headlines for all the right reasons.
Ramos spoke out on Ronaldo after his heroics for his country and insisted the veteran had wished him well prior to taking to the field.
“Cristiano spoke to me as he speaks to everyone,” he said. “He is the captain and he always tries to help.
“He did very well for me.”
Santos, meanwhile, was asked about Ronaldo’s role within the squad after his side’s emphatic victory.
And he was coy on the subject, with the Portugal coach saying: That is still something which has to be defined.
“I have a very close relationship with him, I always have.
“I’ve known him since he was 19 at Sporting and then he started to develop in the national squad when I arrived in 2014.
“Ronaldo and I never misinterpret the human and personal aspect with that of manager and player. I will always consider that he is a very important player to have in the team.
“This [disciplinary matter] is something that is finished and solved, it is also important to look at the example of this player’s history.
“He is one of the best players in the world and therefore all we have to do is come [together] collectively.”
Also read,
Majority of Man Utd players want Ronaldo to leave following the explosive interview
Manchester United ready to tear up Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract on one condition
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