Portugal's Santos: No regrets benching Ronaldo

AL THUMAMA, Qatar -- Portugal manager Fernando Santos said helium has "no regrets" astir not starting Cristiano Ronaldo contempt their World Cup exit to Morocco.

Ronaldo was introduced disconnected the seat successful the 51st infinitesimal with Portugal down 1-0, but the 37-year-old couldn't animate a fight-back arsenic Morocco became the archetypal African broadside to scope a semifinal astatine the World Cup.

- Marcotti: Ronaldo subdued, calm arsenic WC vocation apt ends
- Dawson: Morocco fairytale continues arsenic Portugal sent packing

Santos besides named Ronaldo, who was seen leaving the tract successful tears astatine the extremity of the match, arsenic a substitute for their 6-1 win implicit Switzerland successful the circular of 16 and said the effect was capable to person him to support the aforesaid squad for the quarterfinal.

"I don't deliberation so, nary regrets," Santos said. "I deliberation this was a squad which played precise good against Switzerland. Cristiano Ronaldo is simply a large player, helium came successful erstwhile we thought it was necessary, truthful nary regrets.

"If we instrumentality 2 persons that were the astir upset it is Cristiano Ronaldo and myself. Of people we are upset, but that is portion of the occupation of the manager and the player."

Morocco won acknowledgment to Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri's first-half header erstwhile helium outjumped Portugal keeper Diogo Costa to people a historical extremity for his country.

Portugal lone managed 3 shots connected people arsenic they went successful hunt of an equaliser, and afterward Bruno Fernandes was highly captious of Argentinian referee Facundo Tello.

"I don't cognize if they're going to springiness the cupful to Argentina," Fernandes said. "I don't care, I'm going to accidental what I deliberation and screw them. It's precise unusual that a referee from a squad that's inactive successful the cupful officiates us. They've intelligibly tilted the tract against us."

Fernandes' teammate Pepe besides questioned Tello's show and suggested Lionel Messi's criticism of the referee during Argentina's punishment shootout triumph implicit the Netherlands connected Friday had played a part.

"We dominated the crippled 100 percent of the time," Pepe said. "I deliberation what the referee did today; this is an Argentinian referee. After what Messi said yesterday it seems there's thing precise weird. We couldn't play successful the 2nd fractional due to the fact that the referee kept stopping the game.

"I'm precise angry, precise aggravated due to the fact that the referee didn't fto america play."

Asked afterward astir Tello, Santos played down his interaction connected the effect portion besides leaving his aboriginal arsenic Portugal brag up successful the air.

"I deliberation we could person done much and we failed to bash so, truthful I don't deliberation we should blasted the referee," Santos said. "I reiterate what I said earlier the competition, I person a treatment with the president and erstwhile we spell backmost to Portugal we volition woody with the contented of my contract."