The Portuguese coach still has no regrets, Ronaldo can only be substituted in the World Cup, and the fans are helpless

For many Ronaldo fans, Portugal's elimination by Morocco in the quarterfinals of the Qatar World Cup can be described as the most difficult game to let go. In addition, Ronaldo was reduced to a substitute in the knockout stage at that time, which was even more unacceptable to many fans. Some fans even said that if Ronaldo had started the game at that time, maybe the outcome would have been different.

And just now, former Portugal coach Santos gave an interview to the media. In the interview, I was asked about putting Ronaldo on the bench in the Qatar World Cup, and a series of topics that the outside world is more concerned about. At the beginning, the coach first talked about how he felt in the Portuguese national team for so many years. He considers being the coach of the Portuguese national team the greatest experience of his coaching career. He has been with this team for many years, and he has also played together in various competitions. In particular, he won the European Championship in 2016, which he will never forget. Even though he has stepped down as Portugal manager, he still has a deep affection for this team.

Immediately after that, the reporter talked about the topic of Ronaldo, and the old coach Santos said that it was indeed a last resort to put Ronaldo on the bench during the World Cup. Because the Portuguese were not in good shape at the time, using young players was a better option than continuing to keep Cristiano Ronaldo on the pitch. And Santos always stressed that he also gave Ronaldo plenty of playing time in the knockout rounds. It's due to his fitness issues and hopefully he'll be in good shape. Therefore, for many fans accusing him of putting Ronaldo on the bench, he said that these fans are a little ignorant, because he is also for Ronaldo's good.

Objectively speaking, the old coach Santos was under huge pressure from public opinion at that time, and it was indeed very courageous to put Ronaldo on the bench. After all, Ronaldo is still the main player in the group stage, and he immediately became the team's substitute as soon as he arrived in the knockout round, plus the team's final result was to go home in the quarterfinals. That's why Santos was criticized at the time. To this day, there are still fans who scroll under his personal social media, why didn't he let Ronaldo start at that time?

Interestingly, when the reporter asked the coach if he regretted putting Ronaldo on the bench at that time, Santos replied with a tough attitude that even if he did it again, he would still put Ronaldo on the bench, because it was the best choice for the team. It can be seen that Santos has always been very resolute about the arrangement in the World Cup, and he does not think that Ronaldo has the strength to start in the knockout round, and this can be regarded as a response to the outside public opinion all along.

In a way, veteran coach Santos has always been cautious and detailed. Although he is not a super-first-class coach, he is also one of the most capable national team coaches. The Portuguese national team has had a very consistent and thriving performance under his stewardship. But it's a bit of a pity that Santos didn't integrate the team into a single unit in the face of the Portuguese talent blowout, and he didn't balance the status of Ronaldo and other players well. This ended their journey at the World Cup in Qatar in failure. Now the old coach Santos has coached the Polish national team after leaving the grape national team, and the final outcome is also resignation. Perhaps Santos' tactical philosophy is no longer in line with the mainstream of modern football.

Therefore, poor grades and timely retirement are his best choice. Now Portugal's national team, with former Belgian coach Martinez in place, has done a good job of bringing these stars together. The team's record has become more and more consistent in their daily matches, and at least against teams that are weaker than them, Portugal have been able to win game after game. This will give the players more confidence and the biggest confidence they can have in the next year's European Championships.