Portugal become the most recent sufferer of Morocco’s dream run on the 2022 FIFA World Cup as they have been surprised within the quarter-final tie on Saturday on the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha. Youssef En-Nesyri’s stunner within the first part remained the only real distinction within the fit as Portugal’s hopes of attaining the World Cup semi-final for the second one time in historical past got here crashing down. Portugal supervisor Fernando Santos was once massively criticized for benching famous person Cristiano Ronaldo within the a very powerful fit, however had a two-word respond to the critics after the heartbreaking World Cup go out.
Ronaldo was once benched for the primary time on this World Cup within the Round of 16 fit towards Switzerland previous this week and was once introduced in best in the second one part of the fit. Portugal gained the tie on a thumping be aware with Ronaldo’s substitute, Goncalo Ramos, scoring a sensational hat-trick. Santos adopted the similar technique together with his beginning XI towards Morocco as neatly, however Portugal failed to seek out the again of the web.
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When requested after the World Cup go out if he regretted the verdict to bench Ronaldo, Santos mentioned, “No, I don’t think so, no regrets.
“I think this was a team which played very well against Switzerland. Cristiano Ronaldo is a great player, he came in when we thought it was necessary, so no regrets.”
Ronaldo has been one of the biggest talking points at the World Cup with what unfolded at Manchester United after his bombshell interview and later being benched in the tournament. But Portugal’s senior tactician stressed that the off-field incidents had no impact on the player or on the team.
“I don’t think what happened to Cristiano Ronaldo and the criticism he received had any impact on the match, we have always been a team that is very united,” he mentioned.