Cristiano Ronaldo mentioned on Thursday that Portugal have been “too united to be broken by outside forces” after it was reported he had threatened to stroll out on the squad after being benched in opposition to Switzerland.
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The 37-year-old striker was dropped for the last-16 conflict earlier this week, together with his substitute, Goncalo Ramos, netting a hat-trick in a scintillating 6-1 victory in opposition to Switzerland.
A report from Portuguese newspaper Record mentioned the striker had thought of strolling out on the workforce throughout a tense dialog with coach Fernando Santos.
But the previous Real Madrid and Manchester United ahead took to his social media accounts on Thursday to emphasize the squad was rock strong.
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“It’s a group too united to be broken by outside forces,” he mentioned.
“A nation too courageous to let itself be frightened by any adversary. A team in the truest sense of the word, which will fight for the dream until the end.”
The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) earlier denied the striker had threatened to depart.
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“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 substitute look in opposition to Switzerland confirmed his dedication to the trigger.
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Portugal face Morocco on Saturday within the quarter-finals, the place Ramos might once more get the nod over Ronaldo, who’s the most-capped Portuguese participant and the highest males’s worldwide goalscorer of all time.
“I think what Cristiano said is crystal clear, he’s totally right, nothing from the outside can break us apart,” Otavio informed reporters on the workforce’s camp in Doha.
“We’re very tight-knit, we’re just focusing on playing for Portugal and winning.”
The midfielder admitted it was regular for Ronaldo to be sad at being benched.
“I think everybody is bitter when they don’t play, so that’s perfectly natural,” he mentioned.
“We’re nonetheless very a lot united and centered.
“If you look at the images, the pictures and the videos, you will see that Cristiano Ronaldo’s heart and soul is in the national team, he’s supporting the team regardless of if he’s on the bench or not.”
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner educated together with his team-mates on Thursday after working within the health club on Wednesday with the gamers who began in opposition to Switzerland.
By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse
