The Portuguese newspaper Record today sensationally published its exclusive that Cristiano Ronaldo threatened to leave the national team!
Ronaldo reportedly did not take well to coach Fernando Santos’ decision to leave him on the bench for the Round of 16 against Switzerland, but it soon proved to be the right decision as his substitute Gonzalo Ramos scored a hat-trick and registered an assist.
The Record claims Ronaldo was furious and refused to even train the next day, opting instead to have a lighter workout in the gym with the starters.
The news quickly spread on social media, not helped by his loyal social media “servants”, Georgina Rodriguez and Ronaldo’s sister, who often take every opportunity to come to his defense.
The matter went so far that the Portuguese Football Federation decided to issue an official statement today.
“We categorically deny that the captain of our national team, Cristiano Ronaldo, threatened to leave the national team during the World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo has set many records for the national team, he is extremely dedicated and everything he has done for our national team must be respected. The national team, all the players, the coach and the members of the professional staff and the members of the Association have been united since the first day in the idea of presenting Portugal in the best possible way at the World Cup,” said the Portuguese Football Federation.
However, Ronaldo’s body language when Gonzalo Ramos scored early in the match, and walking into the dressing room in front of everyone, while the rest of his team-mates celebrated in front of the fans, cannot be denied by the Federation.
We will see what happens if Ronaldo remains on the bench against Morocco in the quarter-finals, and the chances of him being a starter are slim…
