MILAN (News Wires) — Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has sprung to the defence of Cristiano Ronaldo by highlighting his professionalism during his time at the Spanish club, after the forward lost his place in Portugal’s World Cup starting line-up.
Portugal’s most-capped player and all-time top scorer came off the bench late in their 6-1 win over Switzerland in the last 16, having been dropped from the starting side after an outburst following his substitution against South Korea.
Italian Ancelotti managed Ronaldo for two seasons at Real.
“Ronaldo probably still feels in his 20s because he’s fine, he’s got the answers he’s looking for in his body,” Ancelotti told Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport. “The competition has become tough.
“I’ve coached him (Ronaldo) for two years and there were no problems. In fact he solved them for me. Cristiano trains well, he pays attention to detail; everything was easy for me to manage. He is an exceptional player,” he added according to Reuters.
Portugal’s Football Federation denied media reports that Ronaldo had threatened to leave the national team during the World Cup after coach Fernando Santos dropped him.
Ronaldo, who has not scored since converting a penalty in Portugal’s opening game against Ghana, issued a statement saying the squad were “a group too united to be broken by external forces”.
The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) denied Ronaldo threatened to abandon the World Cup squad after being benched against Switzerland.
The 37-year-old striker was surprisingly dropped for the last 16 clash on Tuesday, with his replacement Goncalo Ramos netting a hat-trick in the 6-1 victory.
Ronaldo appeared from the bench, but a report from Portuguese publication Record said the striker had previously threatened to leave in a tense conversation with coach Fernando Santos.
“The FPF clarifies that at no time did the captain of the Selecao, Cristiano Ronaldo, threaten to leave the national team during the stay in Qatar,” said the federation according to AFP.
“Every day Ronaldo is building up a unique track record at the service of the national team and the country, which must be respected.”
The FPF said Ronaldo’s appearance against Switzerland was a further demonstration of his commitment to the cause.
Ronaldo is the most-capped Portuguese player and the top men’s international goalscorer of all time.
Portugal will face Morocco on Saturday in the quarter-finals, where Ramos may again get the nod over Ronaldo.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner did not train with the other substitutes on Wednesday after the game, instead taking part in a gym session alongside the starters against Switzerland.
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