Cristiano Ronaldo's wild World Cup continues as he has been benched for Portugal's round of 16 clash with Switzerland. Replaced by Goncalo Ramos, head coach Fernando Santos said in the lead-up to the match that he'd consider removing the armband from Ronaldo due to his conduct leaving the match against South Korea, but he has gone one step further, relegating him to the bench. You can follow the game along here.
"Have I seen the images? Yes, I didn't like it, not at all. I didn't like it," Santos said during his pre-match press conference Tuesday. "I really didn't like it. But from that moment onwards everything is finished regarding that issue. These matters are resolved behind closed doors. It's resolved. Full stop on this matter and now everyone is focused on [Tuesday's] match."
When Ronaldo left the match against South Korea, he said that a player was telling him to leave quickly to which he responded, "I told him to shut up, he has no authority, he doesn't have to say anything." But that's only the tip of the iceberg for Ronaldo. While he has become the first male player to score at five World Cups with his penalty kick goal against Ghana, Ronaldo has also seen his contract with Manchester United terminated due to the fallout from a fiery interview with Piers Morgan.
Now with an offer to join Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, which Ronaldo is expected to make a decision on following the World Cup, the noise off the pitch is getting quite loud for the Portuguese superstar. Needing to secure progression past the round of 16 for the first time since 2006, Santos had to make the decision that was best for his team ahead of the match versus Switzerland.
