Portugal coach Fernando Santos wasn’t impressed by Cristiano Ronaldo‘s reaction to being substituted off during their 2-1 defeat by South Korea – and it could lead to him being dropped for their last-16 game.
Ronaldo was replaced by Andre Silva in the 65th minute of the final group stage match on Friday, with the 37-year-old forward denying afterwards he swore at Santos for taking him off.
Portugal captain Ronaldo said his comments were actually made at a South Korean player who was telling him to hurry up in leaving the field.
Regardless, Santos wasn’t pleased with Ronaldo’s reaction but insisted the issue has been resolved ahead of Portugal’s last-16 encounter with Switzerland on Tuesday.
‘Let’s split this answer in two,’ Santos said at his press briefing on Monday. Right after the match, I spoke in the flash interview, and then went to the press conference, and there I said something I’ll repeat here: on the pitch, I didn’t hear anything.
‘I was too far [away], and this is why I only saw him arguing with a South Korean player, and nothing else.
‘Have I already watched the footage? Yes. I didn’t like it. Didn’t like it at all.
‘From there, it’s things you sort out internally. It was sorted out this way, and now we think about the game today. Everyone is focused on the game.’
Credit: dailymail.co.uk
