Coach Santos: 'Ronaldo does not accept subs'
In a press conference on December 9, coach Santos said he had a private conversation with Ronaldo on the afternoon of December 6 about the reason for the 37-year-old striker to be a substitute in the match against Switzerland in the 1/8 round of the 2022 World Cup.
"Without this discussion, the situation would be bad," he said. "I don't often discuss with the players privately, but Ronaldo is the captain and has given everything to Portuguese football."
When asked about the content of the conversation, the 68-year-old coach quoted him as saying to Ronaldo: "I don't trust you to start, but I trust you to play this game. You will be very important when you get on the pitch."
Santos thought the game would be complicated and Ronaldo's presence in the second half was important. But Portugal led Switzerland 2-0 from the first half, and 5-1 when Ronaldo came on in the 73rd minute.
"Obviously Ronaldo is not happy to be on the bench because he always starts," added Santos. "I explained my point of view, and he didn't accept it. But the discussion went smoothly."
Santos also denied that Ronaldo threatened to leave the team. He revealed that it was Ronaldo who called his teammates to show gratitude to the audience after the victory over Switzerland. "But people only notice that he leaves the field alone," he added. "Leave Ronaldo alone. With what he has done for Portuguese football, he does not deserve such blame."
Ronaldo started all three games of the 2022 World Cup group stage, scoring one goal from the penalty spot. 21-year-old striker Goncalo Ramos took the place of Ronaldo, and scored a hat-trick against Switzerland. Portuguese media said Ramos will continue to start in the quarter-final against Morocco.
Ronaldo holds the record for the most goals of all time, with 819 club and national goals. He also scored the most goals for a national team, with 118 goals in 195 appearances for Portugal. The 37-year-old striker is aiming to win the first World Cup in this team's history.
