Portugal coach defends Ronaldo: Leave him alone

DOHA, Qatar -- Portugal manager Fernando Santos has said it's "high time" to permission Cristiano Ronaldo unsocial aft facing different quality league dominated by questions astir the striker.

Speaking connected Friday, Santos gave a elaborate relationship of a speech with Ronaldo during which helium told the 37-year-old helium would beryllium dropped for the round-of-16 necktie against Switzerland.

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He besides clarified suggestions that Ronaldo had tried to permission the World Cup but afterwards tried to enactment a halt to questions astir the erstwhile Manchester United forward.

"I spoke to him aft luncheon connected the time of the crippled and invited him into my office," Santos said.

"For evident reasons, Cristiano was not blessed astir it, arsenic helium has ever been the starting player.

"He told me: 'Do you truly deliberation it's a bully idea?' But we had a mean speech successful which I explained my viewpoints and of people helium accepted them. We had a frank and mean conversation.

"He has ne'er told maine helium wanted to permission the nationalist team, and it's precocious clip we stopped with the conversation.

"He decided to lukewarm up with his colleagues and celebrated each the goals we scored. At the end, helium was the 1 who invited his colleagues to convey the fans.

"It's precocious clip to permission Cristiano Ronaldo alone. In each quality conference, 90% of the questions are astir Cristiano Ronaldo."

In Ronaldo's absence, Portugal bushed Switzerland 6-1, with replacement striker Goncalo Ramos, 21, scoring a chapeau trick.

Santos, however, near the doorway unfastened for Ronaldo to instrumentality to the squad for the quarterfinal with Morocco connected Saturday by insisting it would beryllium a "different game."

"Every subordinate isn't blessed erstwhile they are connected the bench," Santos said.

"It's wholly normal, and managers conscionable person to woody with it. Just due to the fact that a squad wins doesn't mean you don't change. Morocco volition contiguous america with antithetic things; they are an highly good organised squad with a batch of quality. You deliberation this lucifer volition beryllium the same?"

Santos was joined astatine his quality league by Joao Felix, who hinted that the players are not blessed with the media sum surrounding Ronaldo.

"I would similar to permission a connection to the Portuguese radical and to the press," helium said.

"Portugal is successful a large competition. We haven't reached the quarterfinals for a agelong time. We should each beryllium person unneurotic and not effort to marque the ambiance worse."

Felix besides said helium would lone deliberation astir his nine aboriginal aft the World Cup pursuing reports he could permission Atletico Madrid successful January.

"I've already said I'm focused 100% connected the nationalist squad," helium added.

"I'm lone acrophobic with giving a bully show to assistance this squad and Portugal and the Portuguese people. Atletico Madrid is thing I person to look astatine erstwhile the World Cup ends due to the fact that I'm 100% focused here."