“There was no disagreement,” Cristiano Ronaldo claims he did not curse at the Portugal boss after being substituted against South Korea at 2022 FIFA World Cup
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Fernando Santos and Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo had vehemently denied reports that he swore at Portugal’s coach Fernando Santos when he was substituted during the World Cup game against South Korea. The 37-year-old seemed disgruntled when he was substituted in the 65th minute of the game, which Portugal went on to lose 2-1, but still secured the top spot in Group H.
Media sources in Portugal alleged that Ronaldo had expressed his disapproval of Santos’ decision to substitute him with offensive language. Nevertheless, Cristiano Ronaldo explained that his words were actually directed towards one of the opposing players.
“What happened was before my substitution, the South Korea player told me to get off quickly. I told him to shut up as he doesn’t have that authority. There was no disagreement (with the coach),” Ronaldo stated to the reporters. South Korea’s unexpected victory led to their qualification to the next round of the tournament.
Earlier this season, Cristiano Ronaldo declined to appear for Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag’s team during a match against Tottenham. He subsequently strolled down the tunnel and was dropped from the first team. Next, the player gave a surprising interview to Piers Morgan, where he strongly criticized Ten Hag and the owners of United. In the end, it was declared that the forward had signed off on ending his contract with Old Trafford and is now a free agent.
Also Read: 2022 FIFA World Cup Argentina v Australia: Live Stream, Match Timings, and Preview
South Korea advanced to the Round of 16 after defeating Portugal
Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min proved to be the difference maker late in the game. The masked forward made a spectacular run of 70 yards outside the box, managing to evade Portugal’s backline despite the pressure. He delivered a precise pass to Hwang Hee-chan, whose well-timed sprint into the box completed the counterattack.
South Korea’s victory propelled them to 4 points and put them in second place, surpassing Uruguay, who were eliminated even after scoring a 2-0 victory against Ghana in their last group stage match on Friday. Although South Korea and Uruguay both ended with 4 points, South Korea was able to advance due to their higher goal count.
Portugal finished the group with 6 points after the defeat, allowing them to advance to the next round. South Korean fans were emotional as they recalled the disappointment of the 2014 World Cup when they were unable to progress despite defeating Germany in the group stages. Son and his team were overjoyed with their progress as they waited anxiously for 8 minutes to learn the result of the Uruguay match which was played later.
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Ujan Chakraborty
(1240 Articles Published)