|
Portugal coach Fernando Santos has defended national team captain Cristiano Ronaldo after the Real Madrid star's sideline behaviour late in the Euro 2016 final were criticised by one of the country's most respected former players. Ronaldo was substituted with a knee injury just 25 minutes into the game against tournament hosts France at the Stade de France, and spent most of extra time on his feet in the technical area, issuing instructions to teammates before lifting the trophy following Eder's late winner. Such behaviour ensured that even though unable to contribute on the pitch, Ronaldo was a key protagonist in the game. Some observers, including 46-times capped Portugal legend Antonio Simoes, have been critical and suggested the actions were more about his own ego than actually helping the team. However, speaking on Portugal national TV soon after signing a new contract through to Euro 2020, Ronaldo's one time Sporting Lisbon coach said there was nothing bad about how the team's captain and best player had acted. "[Ronaldo] was suffering more than any other Portuguese, and all he told me was 'we are going to win, we are going to win,'" Santos said. "And there is something bad in that? That makes the coach too weak? He is an excellent captain and the best player in the world." After skippering his nation to their first international trophy, Ronaldo could be in line to win the next Ballon d'Or. However, for former Benfica winger Simoes, who scored for his country against Brazil in the 1966 World Cup, an injured player "going crazy" on the sideline did nothing to help his team win, and was not the behaviour of a real great. "It is not about whether the result was good or bad, it is about looking and saying what should not happen," the 72-year-old said in Jornal I. "Now that we have won, who wants to know about it. The victory covers it. Do you believe that all the bench going crazy, and Cristiano Ronaldo in the role of leader, is why we won? If people think that, then I'd say he should do that in all the games. "I've been in football for 50 years, and never seen anything like that. None of the great world players would have done something like that. "I knew players, great leaders, Pele, Eusebio, [Johan] Cruyff, [Diego] Maradona... Maradona, even with his personality, never did anything like that. I believe that Ronaldo let his huge nerves take him over -- he wanted to win and show he was a leader. Doing that does not make you a leader."
|
