Ronaldo 'like son' to ex-Portugal boss but pair didn't talk after he was dropped (2024)

Fernando Santos previously revealed that he hadn't been in conversation with Cristiano Ronaldo since dropping him during the 2022 World Cup.

Santos was manager of Portugal from 2014 until 2022, and a close ally of Ronaldo. However, he made the difficult decision to bench the former Manchester United man during Portugal's last-16 match against Switzerland at the World Cup two years ago.

It was a move which turned out fruitful as Portugal won 6-1, with his replacement Goncalo Ramos bagging a hat-trick. Subsequently, Ronaldo remained on the sidelines during their quarter-final match against Morocco, leading to a disappointing 1-0 defeat for Portugal. This happened to be the final game for Santos before he was let go, reports the Mirror.

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Despite shared triumphs including a glorious victory in Euro 2016, Santos and Ronaldo's relationship took a sharp downturn. Santos shed some light on the deterioration of their once tight-knit bond in an interview.

Speaking to Portuguese newspaper A Bola in 2023, Santos said: "That's another thing... we don't talk anymore... I don't know what it was... We haven't talked since I came (home) from Qatar."

He added: "The expression is a little strong, but almost like father and son, or younger brother and older brother. We had a very close, very strong relationship, both professional and personal."

It is unclear whether the pair have spoken sonce. After Santos' dismissal in 2023, Roberto Martinez, formerly of Everton and Wigan, assumed his position and has successfully led Portugal to the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 so far. His strategies bore fruit during Monday's (July 1) penalty shoot-out win against Slovenia.

Ronaldo, who has yet to find the back of the net in the tournament, missed a crucial extra-time penalty that could have put his team ahead. The Al-Nassr striker was visibly upset and had to be comforted by his former Manchester United colleague Diogo Dalot.

However, Ronaldo redeemed himself by scoring Portugal's first penalty in the shoot-out, with Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva also finding the target. Goalkeeper Diogo Costa was the hero of the night, saving all three of Slovenia's penalties.

If Martinez is contemplating benching Ronaldo following another lacklustre performance from the 39-year-old, his past behaviour and visible frustration in Germany suggest he may not take it well. With a critical quarter-final against France on the horizon, Martinez faces a tough decision.

Santos, meanwhile, is now the manager of Azerbaijan, having also managed Poland and Beisktas since being dismissed as Portugal boss following the World Cup.

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