SUMOMENTOUS
First Argentina... now Germany... as Japan make history by flattening another heavyweight contender in this wacky World Cup of shocks
PORTUGAL v GHANA Stadium 924, Group H, 4pm, ITV
CRISTIANO RONALDO has been fined £50,000 and given a two-game suspension for knocking a fan’s mobile phone to the ground. The ban will be transferred to domestic games at his next club – even if Ronaldo (left) leaves England after having his contract ended by Manchester
FROM SIMON MULLOCK FERNANDO SANTOS insists Portugal’s World Cup bid will not be derailed by the Cristiano Ronaldo storm.
Santos, the coach who guided his nation to glory at Euro 2016, is bullish about lifting the ultimate prize in Qatar despite Ronaldo’s acrimonious exit from Manchester United just 48 hours before the first group game against Ghana.
The 68-year-old did admit that having a swathe of out-ofcontract players in his squad damaged Portugal’s chances at the 2018 finals in Russia.
But he is backing Ronaldo (right, in training), 37, to be fully focused on the chance of having his finest hour rather than what the future may after his contract at Old Trafford was cancelled.
Santos said: “The situation with Ronaldo hasn’t even been discussed during all of our time together as a squad.
“The conversation hasn’t come up – not even from Ronaldo. Whether he talks to the other players in the privacy of their rooms, I cannot say. They are able to do whatever they want then.
“In 2018 we had six or seven players who went without a club or were involved in contact talks – and that shifted the focus. But that was a different situation from now. It was extremely challenging.”
Santos maintains his priority is to make the Portuguese people happy and added: “We have the dream and the capability to fight.
Ghana coach Otto Addo was careful not to
get drawn into the Ronaldo saga and said: “I couldn’t care less.” But Ajax midfielder Mohammed Kudus added: “It will be great to share the same pitch with an iconic player like him.”