After another disappointing World Cup result for Portugal, which was marred by controversy with Cristiano Ronaldo being benched in his final appearance in the tournament, Fernando Santos is out as Portugal's manager.
Santos came under fire in the wake of last Saturday’s 1-0 quarterfinal defeat to Morocco after he removed Ronaldo from the starting lineup. The superstar striker ended up coming on in the 51st minute, but was unable to find the back of the net.
The 68-year-old Santos has insisted he has “no regrets” over the decision, explaining he introduced the five-time Ballon d'Or winner at the right time, according to Portugese outlet A Bola.
Portugal has never played in a World Cup final, and was shocked in the quarterfinal this time around by the African underdogs, who made history as the first country from the continent to reach a semifinal. Portugal hasn't done that since 2006, when they lost 1-0 to France and ended up finishing fourth.
It was the eighth appearance for the European heavyweights, and for the sixth time, they were unable to advance to the final four.
Santos also benched Ronaldo in the Round of 16 against Switzerland after taking a dislike to his attitude when substituted in during Portugal's final group games. Ronaldo reportedly didn't travel back home to Lisbon with his teammates, instead choosing to remain in Qatar. He was seen practicing alone at Real Madrid's facilities earlier this week.
Despite Portugal's underwhelming World Cup results, Santos did lead them to two international titles over the past six years: a victory at the UEFA Euro 2016, along with a Nations League title in 2019. They were the first two major trophies in the nation's history.
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