Fernando Santos puts an end to the Cristiano Ronaldo issue

Fernando Santos files Ronaldo case

Portugal coach Fernando Santos palmed in a press conference on the eve of the friendly match with Nigeria, the last test before flying to Qatar, dismissing the Cristiano Ronaldo issue.

“What interests me is what he does here. And here we only talk about Qatar. It is his decision and we respect it. We have to respect it. It doesn’t affect us at all,” he said about the Portuguese star’s interview in which he attacked Manchester United and his trainer Erik ten Hag.

“Joao Mario said it only yesterday. There are always four or five questions about Cristiano. This has nothing to do with the national team. The player and the man decided to give an interview, just like the others. It does not question the selection. It is a very personal interview. We have to respect it. There has to be tolerance. As for us, the national team, I have not seen anyone comment on the subject. On the contrary,” Santos continued.

“No one here is obliged to do anything. If you ask me if he is capable of being a starter, my answer is that all the players here, including Ronaldo, are capable of being starters. Of course, we all have to give 200 percent,” concluded the Lusitanian coach.