Dramatic matches of the Portuguese national team at the 2022 World Cup ended with the dismissal of the head coach.
Fernando Santos was left out after Portugal were beaten 1-0 by Morocco in the World Cup quarter-finals on Thursday.
Santos, 68, took over as Portugal coach after the 2014 World Cup, after the team sacked Paulo Bentu. Santos managed Greece from 2010-14.
In 2016, Santos led Portugal to the UEFA European Championship, the country’s first major international trophy. At that time, Portugal lost to Uruguay in the 1/8 finals of the 2018 World Cup.
Ronaldo’s interview with Manchester United winger Piers Morgan about Portugal’s 2022 World Cup campaign was aired before reporting to Qatar. United quickly got rid of Ronaldo, whose free agent status has been the subject of speculation throughout the tournament. He was reportedly considering an offer from Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr for around $210 million a year; he was also seen training at Real Madrid’s training ground on Wednesday.
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Frustrated with Ronaldo’s defeat in Portugal’s last group game against South Korea and the superstar not in top form, Santos dropped the 37-year-old from the starting line-up for the Round of 16 clash against Switzerland. Ronaldo’s substitute Goncalo Ramos scored a hat-trick in the team’s 6-1 win.
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