Cristiano Ronaldo has been a pivotal player for Portugal over the years. The veteran player has always come to the rescue of his international team whenever the team requires someone to step up during their big games.
Portugal’s captain Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly played 203 matches for his country on the international stage till now. The 38-year-old has netted 127 goals for Portugal in his career so far since making his debut for the Portuguese senior side in the year 2003.
According to the reports, the former manager of the Portugal national team Fernando Santos had something to say about CR7. The 69-old has reportedly stated- “Cristiano and I have not spoken to each other since the Qatar World Cup”.
🚨Fernando Santos:
“Cristiano and I have not spoken to each other since the Qatar World Cup. My arms are open again to Cristiano Ronaldo, so that our relationship can be as strong as before.” pic.twitter.com/OCc5iH2TMq
— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) November 8, 2023
Reports further inflict, the veteran manager also quoted- “My arms are open again to Cristiano Ronaldo so that our relationship can be as strong as before”. As per the earlier reports, the bond between the former Portugal manager and CR7 took a sour turn, when the former dropped the player in a couple of crucial World Cup matches for Portugal.
Benfica’s forward Goncalo Ramos replaced CR7 in the starting line-ups against Switzerland and Morocco. Ramos performed well and netted a hat-trick against Switzerland. However, the striker failed to repeat his performance against Morocco in the quarterfinals, in which CR7 appeared as a substitute. Consequently, Portugal was knocked out of the World Cup after a 1-0 defeat.
Reportedly Fernando Santos has expressed that when he told CR7 that he was not in the starting 11, on the match day, “he (Ronaldo) misunderstood”. The veteran manager insisted that the relationship between him and the player stay the same from his end. The 69-year-old reportedly stated that the CR7 is like a “son” to him.
Fernando Santos on why he dropped Cristiano Ronaldo for the FIFA World Cup match against Switzerland
According to the reports, the former Portugal manager termed his decision not to play the Portuguese number seven against Switzerland as “strategic”. As per the reports, Santos was amidst a bad run of spells at that particular period.
He further reportedly expressed that CR7 “is the best in the world”. But, the veteran manager insisted that the latter half of 2022 was “terrible” for the Portuguese number seven. As per the report, he concluded his statement by stating that the forward player lacked rhythm, and it was a “strategic issue”, he further quoted.
However, Fernando Santos was sacked from Portugal’s managerial role after the country’s exit from the World Cup. Fans around the world would know that CR7 remains a very important player for Portugal on the international stage.