The Portuguese Soccer Federation (FPF) on Thursday denied stories that Cristiano Ronaldo threatened to desert the World Cup squad after being benched towards Switzerland.
The 37-year-old striker was surprisingly dropped for the final 16 conflict on Tuesday, together with his alternative Goncalo Ramos netting a hat-trick within the 6-1 victory.
Ronaldo appeared from the bench, however a report from a Portuguese publication mentioned the striker had beforehand threatened to go away in a tense dialog with coach Fernando Santos.
“The FPF clarifies that at no time did the captain of the Selecao, Cristiano Ronaldo, threaten to leave the national team during the stay in Qatar,” mentioned the federation.
“Every day Ronaldo is building up a unique track record at the service of the national team and the country, which must be respected.”
The FPF mentioned Ronaldo’s look towards Switzerland was an additional demonstration of his dedication to the trigger.
Ronaldo is the most-capped Portuguese participant and the highest males’s worldwide goalscorer of all time. Portugal faces Morocco on Saturday within the quarter-finals, the place Ramos might once more get the nod over Ronaldo.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner didn’t practice with the opposite substitutes on Wednesday after the sport, as a substitute participating in a health club session alongside the starters towards Switzerland.
