Bruno Fernandes snaps at reporter quizzing him on the frosty greeting with Cristiano Ronaldo

Bruno Fernandes has denied being angry with Cristiano Ronaldo, despite footage from Portugal’s training camp ahead of the World Cup that appears to show him giving the controversial striker a cold salute.

Ronaldo conducted an interview with broadcaster Piers Morgan in which he took aim at Manchester United – claiming they had ‘betrayed’ him – and various figures from the club.

Reports suggested that the rest of the United dressing room were very dissatisfied with the interview, appearing as if they had simply lost patience with the recalcitrant striker. Many took Fernandes’ filmed reaction to Ronaldo’s arrival in Portugal as proof of that fact.

Bruno Fernandes has tried to clear up the situation surrounding their icy handshake

Fernandes – arriving for national team duty – seemed to give Ronaldo a cold response in the dressing room

However, United’s de facto vice-captain has attempted to clarify the situation.

“I didn’t read the interview,” Fernandes said in one of his first media assignments after arriving in Qatar. “As I said before, now it’s the national team, it’s Portugal. We have to focus on the World Cup.

They don’t come every time. You don’t often get the chance to play a World Cup. Cristiano [has been] luckily playing five times, it will be his fifth time.’

Fernandes revealed that Portugal coach Fernando Santos had pushed for unity in the squad since the United playmaker first broke into the national line-up five years ago.

It comes after Ronaldo’s astonishing interview in which he killed the club and various figures

“The coach made it clear that it is us. He has made that point since I joined the national team in 2017, and he still has that in his mind. The most important thing here is the national team and us.’

Asked about the footage released by his own football association, which seemed to show him frustration at Ronaldo, Fernandes replied: “Why do you say that?”

Before giving vague reasons for his reaction.

“They put the sound after,” he said. ‘Did you hear with the sound? You have to do it [because] you know what happened. In Portugal we have a problem because I was watching one of the channels that talked about that.

Ronaldo took aim at Manchester United for ‘betraying’ him, as well as Ralf Rangnick, Erik ten Hag and former teammates Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney

“I was watching for 45 minutes and as soon as they have a break, the national team sends [the footage] with the sound. Sound says he was joking with me. They come back and cut that off and they say “if you want to see it again just go back”.

“But when they go back, they’ll see there’s a problem, but if they tell the real truth, if they explain what was in that video, people will know. But now people don’t know. Like I said, this is the national team, Manchester United will be my focus after the World Cup, after December 18, because that’s the final.”

Asked if he has a problem with Ronaldo, Fernandes replied that he “had no problem with anyone.”

‘I’m doing my job and as a manager said to me, you can only control yourself. I think everyone thinks the same way; you have to control yourself and do your best and that’s it.’

Portugal’s World Cup campaign kicks off on November 24 against Ghana before taking on Uruguay four days later, who knocked them out four days later in Russia. Due to the conclusion of group H, they will play against South Korea on December 2.