Bruno Fernandes has emphasized that his Portugal teammate, Cristiano Ronaldo, prioritizes the success of the team over personal achievements. Despite not scoring yet at Euro 2024, Ronaldo has faced some criticism suggesting he is only satisfied when he scores himself.
However, in Portugal's 3-0 group stage victory over Turkey, the 39-year-old Ronaldo assisted Fernandes for a goal, demonstrating his commitment to the team's success rather than individual stats. Fernandes highlighted this by stating that for Ronaldo, the most important outcome is the team's success, and his decision to pass was the best one at that moment, regardless of personal glory.
Ronaldo is expected to start in Portugal's round-of-16 match against Slovenia in Frankfurt on Monday. This comes two years after he was unexpectedly benched by former manager Fernando Santos in a World Cup knockout game against Switzerland. Despite the high stakes, Portugal is favored to win, although Slovenia managed a 2-0 victory in a friendly against Roberto Martinez's team in March.
Fernandes warned that Portugal must stay vigilant to advance to the quarterfinals, acknowledging the recent loss to Slovenia as a reminder of their strength. He expressed confidence in Portugal's quality and determination to win every game, aiming for the ultimate goal of reaching and winning the final. The team is aware of Slovenia's strong defense and is focused on finding solutions to overcome it.
ADD A COMMENT :