Portuguese are shutting out the noise
Fernandes and Santos insist that Ronaldo sideshow is not an issue
WHEN Bruno Fernandes was asked his seventh question about Cristiano Ronaldo, the craggy features of Fernando Santos crumpled and changed.
Puffing out his cheeks in exasperation, the Portugal coach leaned back in his seat and shook his head.
An agreement to rip up Ronaldo’s £500,000-a-week contract at Manchester United might suit the two parties concerned. Where Portugal’s preparations for their first game at this World Cup against Ghana are concerned, it’s an ill-timed sideshow.
United confirmed the iconic attacker’s departure — stoked by that controversial interview with Piers Morgan — in a 67-word statement on Tuesday. At Portugal’s pre-match press conference yesterday, attempts to limit the number of words devoted to the subject were doomed from the start.
Publicly, at least, Santos and Fernandes insisted it has barely been discussed. The squad’s attention, they claimed, is fully on a World Cup group also featuring Uruguay and South Korea.
However, such is the importance of a focused, motivated and contented Ronaldo to the former champions of Europe, the whole distracting affair can hardly be anything other than a serious concern.
‘It’s not bothering me,’ claimed Santos, who should have been sitting alongside his captain at the pre-match press conference.
‘Everyone is focused, it’s a subject that hasn’t even been talked about. I didn’t hear any comments on training, on the trip, on the space where the players are together.
‘The conversation has not come up at any moment, not even from him (Ronaldo).
‘If the players are talking about that situation alone in their rooms, I can’t say. The players have time for themselves to do whatever it is that they want.
‘The important thing is that the players are absolutely focused with strong spirit, and very convinced about what we have to do to meet our objectives.
‘You see what they expect and they are very realistic about the challenges they will be facing. Starting with the first game against Ghana.’
With a nod to Argentina’s shock defeat to Saudi Arabia, he added: ‘We have seen in the first few games what can happen, with huge surprises. Today, teams are increasingly stronger and players, as in Ghana’s case, are playing in major tournaments.’
Closing the Ronaldo story down completely was never a realistic option for Fernandes, a Manchester United team-mate until 48 hours ago.
On social media shortly before the tournament began, a video appeared of him arriving in the Portugal locker room and offering the most terse of handshakes to Ronaldo. How the explosive interview with Morgan savaging United and Erik ten Hag went down with the Portuguese squad isn’t entirely clear. Publicly, at least, Fernandes insists he won’t pick a side in the matter. Neither does he expect it to have a detrimental impact on Portugal’s World Cup campaign.
‘I don’t feel uncomfortable,’ claimed the midfielder. ‘I don’t have to pick a side.
‘It is a privilege to play in the national team with Cristiano.
‘To play with him at the club was a dream and I have always said that Cristiano is an inspiration to me.
‘But we know that nothing lasts forever. It was great for me and it was good while it lasted.
‘Now Cristiano has taken a different decision with his life and his career and we have to respect his decision.
‘We, as players, but also as parents and brothers, know that it might be difficult to take some decisions but these decisions have to be for ourselves.
‘Our focus has always been on the championship.’
Echoing the line adopted by his exasperated coach, Fernandes claimed the Ronaldo affair has barely been mentioned by players. So long as there’s a World Cup to play for, Portugal will seek to draw a veil over the topic. Such is the fame of Ronaldo, that’s easier said than done.
‘Cris hasn’t discussed it with me,’ added Fernandes. ‘It is his decision, a personal decision pertaining to him and his family. So we haven’t discussed the topic, but we are all focused on the national team, on the World Cup.
‘We know how important playing for the national team is for Cris and we are in a championship which is actually the dream of every player.’