Portugal boss Fernando Santos puts Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench for Switzerland game
- Simon Wilkes
- 6 December 2022
Veteran forward Cristiano Ronaldo dropped to the bench for Portugal’s World Cup last-16 clash with Switzerland on Tuesday night.
The 37-year-old left Manchester United last month under a cloud and has cast a shadow over Fernando Santos' side during their time in Qatar.
Portugal head coach Santos was unhappy with the veteran's reaction to being substituted towards the end of Friday's 2-1 loss to South Korea.
Ronaldo appeared angry after being withdrawn 25 minutes from the end.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward later said his frustration was aimed at an opposing player rather than Santos for taking him off.
Ronaldo claimed one of the Korean side told him to leave the field quickly and he did not take kindly to the remark.
Either way, Santos accepts it was not a good look for the team.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Santos said: "If I see the images - I didn't like it, not at all. I really did not like it.
"But from that moment onwards, everything is finished - full stop regarding that issue. Now, we have to think about tomorrow's match, and everyone is focused on tomorrow's match."
Asked if he could still trust his captain, Santos said: "I only decide who's going to be the captain when I've reached the stadium, so I don't know. I don't know what the line-up will be.
"That's what I've always done and that's what I'm always going to do.
"But the other topic is solved. We fixed it in-house and that's it."
Ronaldo's presence has cast a shadow over Portugal's campaign, with his arrival in Qatar overlapping with the messy end of his second spell at United.
Although he scored against Ghana to become the first man to net in five World Cups, his performances have been generally underwhelming and the subject of criticism in Portugal.
He has generated further headlines over the weekend with reports he has received a big-money offer from Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.
Santos said: "I didn't even know about this. That's his decision, that's what he has to deal with. We are totally focused here on the World Cup."
