has threatened to leave the World Cup – Corriere.it

The reconstruction of «Record» was denied by the Portuguese Football Federation with a note: «At no time will the captain of the national team, Cristiano Ronaldo, threatened to quit the national team during his training camp in Qatar. Ronaldo builds a unique curriculum every day at the service of the national team and the country, which must be respected and which attests to the indisputable degree of commitment in the national team. The degree of dedication of Portugal’s most capped player was demonstrated again – if need be – in the win against Switzerland, in the round of 16. The national team – players, coaches and the federal structure – is, as it has been since day one, fully committed and enthusiastic in building what the country wants to be Portugal’s best ever participation in a world championship.” it is read. For Cristiano Ronaldo, free and with only one offer in hand, that from Saudi Arabia (very rich yes, but far from the big football stages), the moment is really difficult. Started with the famous interview against Manchester United and its coach, Erik ten Hag, with whom he had a very bad relationship from day one. This led to an early termination of his contract and also dragged the Portuguese locker room towards dangerous drifts, with controversies and rumors of internal splits that threatened their solidity, such as the cold greeting – to tell the truth, later clarified by both protagonists – with Bruno Fernandes in the retreat of Portugal. Finally, Cristiano Ronaldo’s world-wide insults to Fernando Santos at the time of his substitution against South Korea. An episode that prompted the coach to relegate him precisely to the bench in the round of 16 with Switzerland. And now, before that match (in which qualification for the quarterfinals was achieved with the surprising Morocco), there is talk of the fierce face-to-face between CR7 and the Lusitan coach.

According to the reconstruction, the player would have confronted the coach, accusing him of having bowed to public opinion (which according to some polls asked for the exclusion of CR7 owners with percentages of up to 70%), threatening not even to go to the bench and to leave the National. Instead, he showed up against Switzerland, but the next day he didn’t want to train, when he should have done it with the substitutes, remaining in the gym with the starters, once again demonstrating his disagreement with the choices of the coach. And now the second bench in a row, against the Moroccois almost a certainty. Space for Goncalo Ramos, author of a hat-trick in the round of 16.