“What a shame,” Cristiano Ronaldo’s girlfriend slams Portugal manager for benching him in the 2022 FIFA World Cup R-16 match against Switzerland
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Georgina Rodríguez and Cristiano Ronaldo
In the past several weeks, Cristiano Ronaldo has been in the headlines for his activities away from the soccer pitch rather than on it. Portugal’s coach Fernando Santos chose not to start the 37-year-old forward in their 6-1 victory over Switzerland, which has caused frustration for Ronaldo’s girlfriend, Georgina Rodríguez, who expressed her displeasure with Santos through a post on Instagram.
Wearing a yellow bib on the sidelines, Ronaldo’s expression was unreadable as the spectators shouted his name. The crowd roared in excitement when he was finally brought in as a sub in the 72nd minute. Pepe placed the captain’s armband on Ronaldo’s arm before he ran onto the pitch.
“Congratulations Portugal. While the 11 players sang the anthem, all eyes were on you. What a shame not to have been able to enjoy the best player in the world for 90 minutes,” Georgina Rodríguez captioned. Fernando Santos has maintained that his bond with Cristiano Ronaldo is still strong, even after leaving the 37-year-old out of the initial squad for their Round-of-16 showdown against Switzerland.
The manager of Portugal discusses his decision to bench Cristiano Ronaldo against Switzerland
Portugal and Switzerland clashed in the eighth and last Round of 16 game of the current FIFA World Cup in Qatar at the Lusail Iconic Stadium. To the astonishment of many, Cristiano Ronaldo was absent from Portugal’s squad. The 37-year-old had started in every one of the three group stage matches for the 2016 Euro champions, however he was relegated to the bench by Portugal coach Fernando Santos.
Many were shocked when Santos opted to not start the ex-Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus star. Instead, he gave Gancalo Ramos his first World Cup start, and the 21-year-old rewarded the coach’s faith by netting a hat-trick. The European powerhouse went on to win the match by a scoreline of 6-1. Ronaldo eventually came on as a substitute for Joao Felix in the 73rd minute.
He was able to score a goal during the memorable match, but it was disallowed due to an offside call. Following the conclusion of the game, setting up Portugal’s quarterfinal match with Morocco on December 10, Santos discussed why he chose to leave Ronaldo out of the crucial knockout game and explained that it was a strategic move and nothing more.
“It was strategic. Players are different. I also started Diogo Dalot, Raphael Guerrero; however, Joao Cancelo is a fabulous player. That’s what I thought for the game against Switzerland; in another game, it might be different.” Santos said.
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Ujan Chakraborty
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