Cristiano Ronaldo did not seem satisfied with the performance of head coach Fernando Santos after the painful loss suffered by the Portuguese national team against Serbia on Sunday in the World Cup qualifiers. Ronaldo and his teammates will have to go through the European playoffs in March after Serbia turned the match around and snatched the direct qualification ticket to the Qatar 2022 World Cup with a last-minute win of 2-1.
In a short video that circulated widely on social media after the match, Ronaldo angrily spoke to his coach during a "fleeting" handshake that did not appear friendly. It was unclear what Ronaldo said to Santos after the harsh defeat, but his facial expressions and hand movements indicated the Manchester United striker's frustration and strong reprimand towards his coach.
Santos addressed the match at a press conference, vowing to reach the World Cup through the newly structured playoffs. The coach, who led Portugal to the 2016 European Championship title, stated, "We scored the goal but then we suffered a deep decline. The players tried, but we did not execute what was required."
He admitted that "Serbia was better. We tried. Our way is to keep the ball at our feet and play," noting that his team "played with fear and anxiety. It is my responsibility." However, he responded to a question about the playoffs, saying: "We will be in Qatar. We know we did not do what we should have done, but we will be there."
