SUMMARY
- The Fernando Santos-Cristiano Ronaldo relationship is one of the most beautiful partnerships in soccer history.
- The Portuguese coach shockingly benched CR7 in both of the knockout games that Portugal played in the 2022 WC in Qatar.
The Fernando Santos-Cristiano Ronaldo relationship is one of the most beautiful partnerships in soccer history. The duo complimented each other pretty well and brought glory to their country of Portugal. The highly successful duo won the country’s only two major tournaments. CR7 and Fernando won the UEFA Euros in 2016 and also the inaugural UEFA Nations League in 2019.
Fernando Santos, Portugal manager, talking about the Euro 2016 final:
“It’s a brutal image. I was shouting for someone to take over on the left wing but Cristiano was punching me and said: ‘Old man, old man! We’ve already won.” 🤣 pic.twitter.com/vp5fr2PAss
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) March 23, 2022
Nobody can forget the day when CR7 got injured in the initial moments of the Euro 2016 finals. The 38-year-old did not back down and still motivated and instructed his team from the touchline just like his coach. However, it was Fernando Santos’s love and admiration for Cristiano, that did not let him interrupt CR7 from doing almost a manager’s role.
Fernando Santos believes Cristiano Ronaldo is still the GOAT
The Portuguese coach last managed the Al-Nassr player in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. But even after years of being away from his beloved player, Fernando Santos is still no short of praise for CR7. The 69-year-old will forever be thankful to the 38-year-old for carrying the Portuguese team on his back en route to a Euro and a Nations League win.
🚨Fernando Santos: “I have often said and I will say again: Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest of all time.” pic.twitter.com/OcTAjdNPd1
— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) January 29, 2024
The Besiktas coach has at many times enunciated the greatness of the former Real Madrid player. Fernando once again let his feelings known when he said, “I have often said and I will say again: Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest of all time.”
The 69-year-old declared that he had a very strong personal and professional relationship with the Portuguese captain. Fernando Santos believes that the relationship is a bit strong just like a father-son or an elder brother-younger brother relationship.
CR7 hasn’t talked with his former coach after the FIFA World Cup 2022
However strong the relationship between Cristiano and Fernando Santos is, it could not take the toll of the heartbreak of the FIFA World Cup 2022. The Portuguese coach shockingly benched CR7 in both of the knockout games that Portugal played in the 2022 WC in Qatar. This put strains on the relationship between the two, as a player with the stature of Cristiano Ronaldo could not comprehend the role of a substitute.
CR7 has decided to ignore Fernando Santos for the rest of his life as he potentially missed out on the possibility of winning the WC in probably his last attempt. The Portuguese coach revealed the details about the 38-year-old’s shocking behavior when he said (via The Guardian), “We don’t talk since … I don’t know which day, but since we came back from Qatar.”
🚨 How long have you not spoken to Cristiano Ronaldo?
🗣️ Fernando Santos: “We don’t talk anymore. I don’t know what day it was, we haven’t talked since I came from Qatar. pic.twitter.com/HWPsZrQ3J2
— TCR. (@TeamCRonaldo) November 8, 2023
However, Fernando Santos has defended his move to bench Cristiano for the knockout games. The 68-year-old believed that CR7 wasn’t physically prepared enough to play games of such a nature. Cristiano Ronaldo had barely played for Manchester United in the 21/22 season and therefore he went for a young and energetic Goncalo Ramos, who scored a hattrick on his WC debut against South Korea.