With Cristiano Ronaldo currently embroiled in controversy following his scathing interview about Manchester United, Portugal boss Fernando Santos has defended the 37-year-old, insisting that his actions "doesn't impact" the national team.
Amid United's 2-1 win over Fulham in the English Premier League on Sunday, it emerged that Ronaldo had done an interview with British television broadcaster Piers Morgan, where he made reproving comments about the club and manager Erik ten Hag, among other things.
Various pundits in the English press have speculated that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner will never play for the Red Devils again after his bombshell interview and that he is likely to leave the club in the January transfer window after the club said they would consider their response after the full facts of the matter have been established. On Wednesday, a mural of the player was removed from the Old Trafford stadium.
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With Ronaldo now on international duty ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup while surrounded by controversy, Santos has revealed he isn't taking the matter into any consideration in the national team.
"This issue isn't related to us, it isn't related to the national team," the 68-year-old said, according to Metro.
"The man, the player, decided to give an interview, like other athletes and men decide to do to discuss personal matters.
"This doesn't spill out to the national team, as far as I know, he didn't talk about the national team, so it's a personal interview which we need to respect.
"These days tolerance is a buzz word and we need to respect what others think and say, provided it doesn't impact what I do.
"None of my players have made a comment regarding the interview, at all.
"Cristiano Ronaldo is a free man. The buzz and discussion [around him] is taking place outside the national team. It doesn't impact us.
"It's a fact he's suffering from gastroenteritis. Any player will struggle if you're suffering from that. He's not ready to play."
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Asked if he has ever been forced to put Ronaldo into his starting eleven, Santos said: "Forced? This is not about forcing me.
"This is not a requirement. No one is forced to do anything here. The question could be, you could ask me, based on what Cristiano Ronaldo did [in recent weeks on the pitch] should he start?
"This is valid for Cristiano Ronaldo and all the players who are with the national team. If the head coach is forced to put a player in the XI… there aren't those things here."
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