"Cristiano Ronaldo's Behavior in the Match Against Korea Upset Fans and Even the Coach Criticized Him"

"When Substituted, I Really Didn't Like It"
7 out of 10 Domestic Fans Say "Remove from Starting Lineup"

On the morning of the 3rd (Korean time), the Group H third match between South Korea and Portugal was held at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, during the 2022 Qatar World Cup group stage. Ronaldo is showing disappointment as his shot misses.

Controversy surrounding Portugal's football star Cristiano Ronaldo (unaffiliated) continues unabated. Following calls from domestic fans to "drop Ronaldo from the starting lineup," even the coach has criticized Ronaldo's behavior.

Fernando Santos, the coach of the Portugal national team, revealed that he felt uncomfortable with Cristiano Ronaldo's (unaffiliated) behavior when he was substituted during the match against South Korea on the 5th.

According to AFP and AP news agencies, during a press conference held in Doha, Qatar on the 5th, Santos responded to questions about Ronaldo's behavior at that time by saying, "I really did not like it."

Ronaldo, who started in Portugal's third group stage match in Group H of the Qatar World Cup against South Korea on the 3rd, was substituted in the 66th minute for Andr? Silva without making any significant impact.

As Ronaldo was leaving the field, he suddenly put his finger to his lips, making a gesture to be quiet, showing signs of being unable to control his emotions.

At the time, Portuguese media speculated that Ronaldo was expressing dissatisfaction toward coach Santos, but Ronaldo explained that the gesture was directed at Cho Gue-sung, with whom he had an argument.

Ronaldo said about the incident, "When I was substituted, a Korean player told me to leave quickly, so I told him to be quiet," adding, "He has no right to say that. If I hadn't left quickly, the referee would have pointed it out."

In fact, Cho Gue-sung also admitted to having a verbal exchange with Ronaldo.

In a post-match press conference, Santos said, "(Ronaldo) seemed upset about something related to the Korean player during the match," adding, "It seemed he was upset because the Korean player made a hand gesture telling him to 'go away.'"

He continued, "I think the Korean player spoke in English, but it didn't seem to be anything offensive," seemingly downplaying the incident.

However, when asked again about the situation on the 5th, he revealed his true feelings.

Santos said, "My answer is twofold. The first answer is no different from what I stated at the press conference at the time," adding, "Nothing happened on the field."

He continued, "But the second answer is that I did not like that scene. I was not pleased at all," adding, "But that is now a closed matter. It has been resolved internally."

Portuguese football fans say "Ronaldo should be dropped from the starting lineup"

Ronaldo, who has been underperforming for Portugal in the Qatar World Cup, is even being shunned by his own fans.

Portuguese sports media outlet 'A Bola' reported on the 4th that 70% of subscribers answered "No" to the question, "Do you think Ronaldo should continue to start?"

Seven out of ten Portuguese football fans responded that Ronaldo should be removed from the starting lineup in such an important match.

Ronaldo scored only one goal in the three group stage matches of Group H in this World Cup. He scored from a penalty kick in the first match against Ghana but remained silent against Uruguay and South Korea.

In particular, he missed several scoring opportunities against South Korea, and during a Korean corner kick situation, he inadvertently contributed to the equalizing goal with an "unrecorded assist."

However, coach Santos bluntly stated that he does not pay attention to such data, saying, "I do not read this kind of material," showing no interest in fan opinions.

He said, "It's not that I don't respect these opinions," adding, "I simply don't watch the news because we only have three days left to train. I will focus on the upcoming match."