Posted by The decision to bench Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal’s World Cup last-16 match against Switzerland was announced to the players two hours before to kickoff, according to Portugal international Bernardo Silva, thus it didn’t come as a surprise to him.
Ronaldo, 37, who had only one goal in the group stages, was placed on the substitutes’ list for Portugal’s match against Switzerland at Lusail Stadium.
The former Manchester United forward, who was substituted during their 2-1 loss to South Korea, however, reacted aggressively, something former head coach Fernando Santos did not like.
Ronaldo’s situation was made worse when Goncalo Ramos, who took Ronaldo’s place, scored a hat-trick for Portugal in their 6-1 thrashing of Switzerland.
The Manchester City midfielder commented on the situation to the newspaper Record, saying, “Between us, we chatted and asked ‘could it be, would it not be?’ because the players discussed.
“But when we got to the stadium two hours before the game, that’s when we found out about the team in the locker room.
There are too many players—26 to be exact—for the coach to select only one for each game. He always chooses one or the other, and it never surprises me. The coach has the right to make the decisions he does, whether they are correct or wrong in each person’s eyes.