Fernando Santos has said he dropped Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal's World Cup last-16 tie against Switzerland as he wanted a more fluid attack.
Ronaldo is currently representing Portugal in Qatar without a club to return to after he left Manchester United last month. Before his sudden departure, however, the striker had not been in good form.
His struggles have continued for his country, with Ronaldo only managing to score once - from the penalty spot - in three starts at the World Cup. Still, it came as a huge surprise when he didn't start on Tuesday night.
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Santos instead opted to hand young striker Goncalo Ramos his full international debut, and that call was immediately vindicated as the Benfica man scored the opener within 20 minutes and went on to net a hat-trick in the 6-1 win.
"We wanted a team that played with a lot of fluidity,” Santos said when asked about his decision to start Ramos over Ronaldo. "Cristiano is more fixed, he stays in a more determined role towards the box. Goncalo has different characteristics: he is very dynamic and that’s what he ended up showing us.”
Ronaldo came on in the closing stages and saw a goal disallowed for offside but it's difficult to see him returning to the starting XI for their quarter-final date with Morocco. When pressed on whether he would, Santos remained coy: “All the players who are with me can be used and if they are not in the starting XI they can play later."
On Ronaldo's role in the squad specifically, the manager added: "That is still something that has to be defined. I have a very close relationship with him, I’ve known him since he was 19 at Sporting. Ronaldo and I never misinterpret the human and personal aspect with that of manager and player. I will always consider that he is a very important player to have in the team.
“[The matter] is something that is finished and solved. It is also important to look at this player’s history, he is one of the best players in the world and therefore all we have to do is come in collectively.”
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