Fernando Santos has made it clear that he will not disappoint Cristiano Ronaldo, despite his difficulties with Portugal.
The Manchester United megastar endured a frustrating break with abroad, squandering the chance to win the Nations League for the moment of his career, as Spain secured a 1-0 win in Braga to propel Portugal to a position in the final. that a black eye and an ugly cut on the nose, as well as a long-awaited accusation by the FA, Ronaldo is going through a bad time.
And it has sparked a debate in his home country over whether Ronaldo continues to lead the World Cup front line that begins in less than two months. After being eliminated by Erik ten Hag at United because he had no compatibility with his fluid taste for football, Santos now faces calls to leave the 37-year-old on the bench in Qatar.
But the Portuguese coach, who has maintained unwavering faith in Ronaldo in his eight-year tenure, reiterated that the veteran will remain his starting striker in November. Asked about Ronaldo’s lackluster performance against Spain after the match, Santos said: “What interests “For me it’s the way the team played. Ronaldo had 3 or 4 chances. Two very intelligent, he scores regularly. He didn’t score. It’s football. “
The 67-year-old’s comments were also a reaction to intense tension from sections of the Portuguese media in preparation for Tuesday’s defeat. Many have called for Ronaldo to be abandoned in favour of Liverpool striker Diogo Jota, AC Milan’s dynamo Rafael Leao or Atletico Madrid ace. Joao Felix.
As for the adjustment itself, Portugal only needed a draw to secure their position in next summer’s Nations League final, after crushing the Czech Republic 4-0 on Saturday. Each contributed two goals.
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Unfortunately for Santos and company, Spain proved to be a much more difficult opponent and won all 3 numbers thanks to Alvaro Morata’s goal in the 88th minute. The result mirrors Portugal’s dramatic 2-1 loss to Serbia last November, when the Navigators once again returned. They only needed a draw at home to automatically triumph at the World Cup, forcing them to qualify for the play-offs.
Critical of the main points of his team’s performance against Spain, Santos, who will probably want a strong crusade at the World Cup to maintain his position, added: “This is the moment when we conceded a goal at the end [after Serbia defeated]. If we have to protect, we have to protect with everything. The players and I are devastated at the end of this game.
“I was informed of the Serbia game? This adjustment cannot be compared with Serbia’s adjustment. Against Serbia we scored, but we didn’t create more chances. We’ve replaced a lot since then, the way we play, the way I think about the game. Of course, there are things to improve. This elimination does not harm me at all. I have a contract until 2024. “
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