Fernando Santos, who is in charge of the Portuguese national team, has stated that it would be necessary in the future to establish the role that Cristiano Ronaldo will play in the national team.
After his team’s resounding victory over Switzerland in the 1/8 finals of the World Cup, Santos took the podium to address the media.
After Santos voiced his displeasure with Ronaldo’s performance in the previous match against South Korea, the 37-year-old was moved to the substitutes’ bench for this match.
Gonzalo Ramos, who started in his place and scored a hat trick, was selected to play for the Selecao, and they advanced to the quarterfinals, where they will face Morocco.
As a result of Ronaldo’s exclusion from the team, this will be the first time since the 2008 European Championship that Portugal won’t start him in a game at a major tournament.
Santos stated the following regarding the striker’s predicament: “It still needs to be determined. I have always had a very close relationship with him; in fact, I’ve known him ever since I was 19 years old.
“This relationship is only developing, Ronaldo and I never interpret the human aspect of the manager and the player (in relation to) what we should do during the match,” he said. “This relationship is only going to get stronger.”
“He is an important player for us to have on the team, and I will always keep that in mind when I am performing my duties… It is essential to take a close look at the example provided by the career of this player. He is currently one of the very best players in the world, and he is also the captain of his professional team.
The question of whether or not Ronaldo would play against Morocco was put to Santos. He deftly sidestepped the question by responding that he would most certainly be participating instead.
When it came to dealing with the situation involving the five-time winner of the Golden Ball, Santos’ actions were largely reflective of what Eric ten Hag went through during Ronaldo’s tenure at the club.
It was clear that the team was performing better without him, but the scorer was unable to accept the diminished role he currently plays in the Portuguese national team. He felt that this role was unfairly assigned to him.
As a result, the departure from Old Trafford was a bitter one. Santos, like Ten Hag, is making the right choice, and the positive impact that his courageous decision will have on the team as a whole can only be a good thing.
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