One of Cristiano Ronaldo's former managers has revealed that the Portugal star has not spoken to him since he dropped him for a key fixture.
Former Portugal boss Fernando Santos has insisted that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner "misunderstood" why he was left out of the starting line-up for their 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-final against Morocco in December.
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The current manager of Poland's national team decided, at the time, to start with Goncalo Ramos up front after the former Benfica man had put up an impressive display in the previous match, scoring a stunning hat-trick against Switzerland in the round of 16.
With the game against the African giants determining whether or not Portugal would progress to the semi-finals, Ronaldo came on as a substitute in the 51st minute but was unable to save his side from a 1-0 defeat that saw A Selecao exit the tournament and ultimately resulted in the end of Santos' eight-year tenure as the nation's manager.
Many believe the Qatar showpiece was Ronaldo's final World Cup, and he might have felt that way too based on the tears he shed after Portugal were booted from the competition.
Santos has now revealed that his decision that day dented the father-son relationship he had with the Al Nassr star.
"We haven't spoken since I came from Qatar," Santos told A Bola.
"On the day of the game, in the morning, when I went to explain that he wasn't going to play and why he wasn't playing, he misunderstood
"From my side the relationship is the same, and he continues to be like a son to me. The day the phone rings, he knows I'm always here.
"He is the best of the world. But he had a moment in his career that was very difficult.
"In the second half of 2022, he has six months that are terrible.
"That moment really affected him. He had no rhythm. It was a strategic issue."
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