December 07, (THEWILL) – After Portugal’s crushing 6-1 victory over Switzerland on Tuesday night, Cristiano Ronaldo has been training separately from the other substitutes.
Before the game, head coach, Fernando Santos, benched the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, inserting Goncalo Ramos into the starting lineup in his place. The Benfica forward scored a memorable hat-trick as Portugal ran riot, with Pepe, Raphael Guerreiro, and Rafael Leao, also finding the back of the net.
The decision to bench Ronaldo, for the first time in Portugal’s national team, had paid off. After 31 tournament games for his country, it was unusual to see the ex-Manchester United forward outside the starting XI. Santos substituted Ramos for Ronaldo in the 73rd minute, and the former Manchester United player appeared thrilled with his team’s victory after the game.
The substitutes’ against Switzerland participated in an on-field training session after the game that Santos organised. However, Ronaldo reportedly skipped the session in favour of staying in the gym with Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot, who were in the starting lineup from the match at the Lusail Stadium.
On Saturday, Portugal will file out against Africa’s last representatives, Morocco, in their quarter-final match. Even though Santos insisted that benching Ronaldo was more of a tactical decision than a punitive measure, it is not certain if Ronaldo will start, especially with Ramos making a bold argument to be retained with his hat-trick.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
