Bruno Fernandes says there’s ‘no need for a soap opera’ around Cristiano Ronaldo after Portugal loss
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Bruno Fernandes insists there is no need for a soap opera surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo after his team-mate Portugal and Man United’s poor performance in defeat to Spain – and insists ‘goals will appear’ for the under attack attacker
- Portugal star Bruno Fernandes has come to defend Cristiano Ronaldo
- Ronaldo faced criticism after poor performance in Portugal’s loss to Spain
- But Fernandes insisted ‘goals will appear’ despite Ronaldo’s tough start
- Ronaldo has scored just one goal in all competitions since the summer break
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Bruno Fernandes has defended his Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo after the 37-year-old came under fire for his performance in Portugal’s 1-0 defeat to Spain on Tuesday.
Despite an impressive win over the Czech Republic on Saturday to top the Nations League Group A2, the loss to Spain means Fernando Santos’ side will not qualify for the final of the competition.
Following the result, Ronaldo was criticized by fans and pundits alike for his lackluster performance, and calls for the talisman attacker to be dropped ahead of the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.
Bruno Fernandes has defended Cristiano Ronaldo after Portugal was defeated by Spain
Ronaldo struggled in the match as Portugal failed to qualify for the Nations League final
However, after the match, Bruno Fernandes was quick to say that the calls to drop Ronaldo were premature:
“There’s no need to make great stories. Cristiano is here, he is here to help, and he will continue to help.
“Cristiano is an attacker; he wants to score goals. Frustration is normal, but no one was more frustrated than anyone else.
Fernandes insisted the whole squad was frustrated but supported Ronaldo to get back into shape
“We were all very frustrated – no need to make a soap around Cristiano.”
Ronaldo has endured a difficult start to the season with his faltering form on international duty, exacerbated by his lack of playing time at club level.
The Portuguese star’s desire to leave Old Trafford just 12 months after his long-awaited return has been widely publicized and despite ultimately staying with the club, Ronaldo has only started one league game under Erik ten Hag this season.
Ronaldo scored his first goal of the season for Manchester United in a Europa League win over FC Sheriff
After a barren start to the campaign, Ronaldo finally came off the job at club level with a penalty in United’s Europa League win over FC Sheriff.
However, Fernandes backed his international captain to regain the goal-scoring form that defined his storied career.
‘He has done what he must do; the targets appear.
‘This is a phase. When the goals start to appear, he will have more capacity and calmness to continue scoring many goals for our national team. We must not forget that he is the best goalscorer ever.”
