Official statement: Portugal responds to «Ronaldo’s threat» to leave the national team world cup camp
The Portuguese Federation issued an official statement in response to allegations in the press that Cristiano Ronaldo “threatened to leave the national team” which is participating in the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Ronaldo reacted angrily to being substituted in Portugal’s loss to South Korea in their last Group H match, despite the former Manchester United striker claiming he was upset about something an opponent had said to him.
Fernando Santos then benched Ronaldo for the round of 16 match against Switzerland in which the striker’s substitute, Gonzalo Ramos, scored a hat-trick in a 6–1 win.
Santos admitted after the confrontation with South Korea that he did not like Ronaldo’s reaction during his substitution against South Korea, and insisted that the 37-year-old told the Portugal coach: “You are in a hurry to replace me.”
Portuguese newspaper Record claimed Ronaldo was so angry at his exclusion against Switzerland that he fell out with Santos and asked to leave the national team camp.
But Portugal felt the need to issue a statement on the allegations ahead of Saturday’s quarter-final tie against Morocco.
The statement read: “The news released on Thursday alleges that Cristiano Ronaldo threatened to leave the national team during a conversation with national coach Fernando Santos. The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) wants to make it clear that at no time did it threaten national team captain Cristiano Ronaldo to leave the national team during the tournament in Qatar.
The statement added: “Cristiano Ronaldo continues to build on his unique record of service to the national team, which must be respected and which testifies to his indisputable degree of commitment to the national team.”
And the statement continued: “The national team – the players, the coaches and the structure of the Portuguese Football Federation – are fully committed and motivated, as they have been since day one, to build what we hope will be Portugal’s best ever World Cup.”
Source: football365
