Former Portugal coach Fernando Santos confessed that his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo has not recovered since the round of 16 of the last World Cup.
Spanish media 'Marca' reported on the 9th (Korean time) that 'Santos said he has not talked to Ronaldo since the World Cup.' Santos is famous as the coach who made the decision to place Ronaldo on the bench from the round of 16 at the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
“I would make the same decision now,” Santos said. “It was a strategic decision. We have to think about the team first. Tactically, it was the best decision. As you know, the technical team and I discussed this. It was a decision we made after careful consideration. “I looked back.
At that time, Portugal passed Group H in first place (with Korea in second place). Ronaldo appeared as a starter in all three group stage matches, but his performance was not very good.
Santos faced Switzerland in the round of 16 and made the bold decision to exclude Ronaldo from the starting lineup. Santos hired Goncalo Hamus, who was a rising prospect at the time, as the starting striker. Hamus is a forward who currently plays with Lee Kang-in at Paris Saint-Germain. When Hamus scored a hat trick and Portugal won 6-1, Ronaldo was at a loss for words.
Portugal also faced Morocco in the quarterfinals. Morocco, the sensational team in this tournament, defeated Portugal 1-0 and advanced to the semifinals. Ronaldo came on as a substitute in the second half, but he had no impact on the game.
Santos said, "There were personal problems. I still believed in him. We were favorites to win the title. If we had beaten Morocco and defeated France, then we could have put Ronaldo in the best 11," adding, "If a bigger game came, I would have added Ronaldo." He said he was planning to write it.
Ronaldo could not accept this.
“Ronaldo was the worst in terms of the rhythm of the game anyway,” Santos said. “He had no rhythm. We tried to find his rhythm, but it was difficult. When I told him he was out of the starting lineup, he misunderstood my decision. One day we met each other,” Santos said. “There will be a day when you will look at it and let your emotions out,” he said.