Portugal head coach Fernando Santos has warned Cristiano Ronaldo that he isn't guaranteed to be given the captain's armband in their nation's last-16 clash with Switzerland on Tuesday evening. It comes after the 37-year-old reacted angrily in his last game to being substituted halfway through the match.
It was in a final group stage game against South Korea, with Portugal already qualified and the Taegeuk Warriors needing a victory to earn qualification for themselves. That's exactly what happened for the Asian nation, who came back from 1-0 down to win 2-1 thanks to Wolves striker Hwang Hee-chan in stoppage time.
While it was a huge moment, it was still Ronaldo who captured some of the headlines during his substitution midway through the second half. The former Manchester United striker put his index finger to his lips to signal a shushing motion as he was frustrated by Korean striker Cho Gue-sung urging him to hurry up in his exit, with time not on their side.
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Ronaldo was clearly frustrated with the suggestion from his opposite number, saying after the game: "Before my substitution, one of their players was telling me to leave quickly. I told him to shut up, he has no authority, he doesn’t have to say anything.”
It was an outburst from the striker - who is currently a free agent after the mutual termination of his contract at Manchester United - but Santos claims the case has been closed in private. Despite that, he has still warned Ronaldo that he isn't guaranteed to be captain against Switzerland.
The Portuguese coach told reporters: "Have I seen the images? Yes, I didn’t like it, not at all. I didn’t like it. 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 tomorrow’s match.
"I only decide who is going to be captain when I reach the stadium," Santos said when pressed on if he would give the armband to Ronaldo. "I still don’t know what the lineup will be. That’s what I’ve always done and that’s what I’m always going to do and it’s going to be the same tomorrow. The other topic is solved. We have fixed that in-house and that’s it."
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