"Portugal Coach Fernando Santos Discusses Benching Cristiano Ronaldo During Round of 16 in the World Cup"
Portugal coach Fernando Santos has shared his thoughts on the team's current form and upcoming matches, including the quarter-final clash against Morocco.
In a recent press conference, Santos stated that the team is in excellent form, with their recent 6-1 victory over Switzerland being a testament to this. However, he remained tight-lipped about the reasons behind his strategic decision to bench star player Cristiano Ronaldo in that game.
Santos has a well-known history with Ronaldo, having coached him for years in the national squad since he was 19 at Sporting. The coach emphasised that he and Ronaldo do not confuse the human and personal element with the coach and player relationship. He also made it clear that Ronaldo is a very important player to have in the team.
Despite the controversy surrounding Ronaldo's exclusion from the starting lineup, Santos expressed his unhappiness with the player's response to being benched in the final team stage game against South Korea had no impact on his decision.
Looking ahead to the quarter-finals, Santos expects a "very challenging" game against Morocco. He expressed optimism about maintaining and improving the team's performance, stating that he has a close relationship with Ronaldo and believes in the team's ability to perform well.
Santos has not commented on whether the decision to exclude Ronaldo was the most difficult of his career, but he did say that his team's current form gives him confidence for the team's future games. He did not specify the points that need improvement, but he emphasised the importance of staying focused and maintaining a positive attitude.
As the team prepares for the quarter-finals, fans can expect Santos to continue to make tough decisions in order to give the team the best chance of success. With Ronaldo's talent and the team's current form, Portugal is certainly a force to be reckoned with in this year's World Cup.
