Cristiano Ronaldo has refused to train with Portugal’s substitutes after being left on the bench in the round of 16 game against Switzerland, MySportDab reports
The former Manchester United forward ‘surprised’ teammates and refused to partake in training with substitutes and instead insisted on joining the starters for a gym session
Portugal coach Dos Santos left Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench during the World Cup round of 16 clash against Switzerland.
Portugal won 6-1, with Ronaldo’s replacement Gonacalo Ramos making headlines after he scored a hat-trick against the Swiss.
Goncalo’s performance justified the decision of Dos Santos to drop Cristiano on the bench, with Portuguese media tipping the 21-year-old to lead a new generation of Portugal forwards.
After the game, Ronaldo sparked reactions after he angrily walked off his teammates and refused to join the team’s celebration.
Before the Switzerland game, Ronaldo also sparked reactions when he was subbed off against South Korea in the last group game.
He appeared to mutter angry remarks at Dos Santos – a move he later denied, saying he directed the remark at a South Korean player who attempted to hurry him off the pitch when his number was up for substitution.
Meanwhile, while Santos admitted that he was furious at Ronaldo for acting out after getting substituted during Portugal’s group stage victory against South Korea, he said his decision to leave him on the bench in the following match was unrelated to the incident.
Dos Santos said he dropped Ronaldo on the bench against Switzerland for purely tactical reasons, and Ronaldo is an important member of the team.
However, after the fallout during the Switzerland game, Marca has confirmed that Ronaldo has continued to cause a stir in Qatar.
He reportedly failed to turn up in training with Portugal substitutes. He opted for a low-intensity gym with first-team players even after he played for less than 29 minutes in the game against Switzerland.
Ronaldo’s antics is said to have ‘surprised’ his teammate, who faces Morocco in the quarterfinal clash.
