Who says Portugal says Cristiano Ronaldo. Even if he wasn't present at the pre-match press conference on Monday, his aura was there.
It must be understood that less than an hour before this press activity, new confirmations were emerging everywhere regarding the Portuguese star’s signing with Al-Nasr, the club that won the Saudi Premier League.
He was recently released by Manchester United as nothing worked out for him, and Ronaldo's future was in the news. At Victory, he was earning approximately $283 million Canadian dollars… per year.
If Quebec wants to solve its health network problem, it now knows where to call.
Cristiano Ronaldo made a great effort during Portugal's national team training on Monday. – Photo by Agence France-Presse
distraction
Much of the talk surrounding the 37-year-old icon could quickly become a distraction for a national team that has only reached the quarter-finals twice, in 1966 and 2006.
Coach Fernando Santos insisted that he does not pay attention to gossip and that he does not have enough time to browse social networks frequently.
“I didn't talk to him about it. I didn't even know he had an offer, someone told me that a few minutes ago,” he said, stressing that Ronaldo is not distracted by his personal situation.
“It's up to him to decide. We're focused on the World Cup and so is he.”
What do the Swiss think about that? They preferred to talk about sports.
Coach Murat Yakin said: “We know that Cristiano Ronaldo can make a difference, and with the qualities he has, we must not give him space.”
Not easy
Portugal and Switzerland have compiled identical records of two wins and one defeat in the group stage, and in the Portuguese camp, we are far from looking at the Helveti team.
We know very well that the Swiss surprised France in the round of 16 of the Euro last year. The Swiss then led Spain to penalties in the quarter-finals.
“That's why there is no favourite. It's a match between two teams that have great value on an individual and collective level,” said defender Ruben Dias.
He added: We expect the match to be very difficult and at a high level. He added: “We are aware of what the Swiss squad will bring, as it is a team that possesses a very important arsenal with different weapons.”
date
The Swiss know that we are touching a rare moment in the country's football history.
We want to be able to hold it with both hands to continue the adventure after tonight. You should know that the Swiss have not returned to the quarter-finals since 1954, as they did in 1934 and 1938.
“I don't want to look back, all I care about is the match,” Murat Yakin noted for the first time.
“It's a great opportunity for us to write the rest of the story. It's great to play another match.”
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