Czechia Confirmed as Host of World Cup Play-off, Iceland Manager Dismisses Blame for Ronaldo Ban
Prague, Czech Republic – Czechia has been officially confirmed as the venue for the World Cup play-off match, offering a potential route to qualification for teams including iceland. The confirmation comes amid ongoing fallout from Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent red card and subsequent suspension, impacting Portugal’s World Cup preparations.
The play-off provides a crucial lifeline for nations narrowly missing automatic qualification.Iceland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson addressed both the venue confirmation and the controversy surrounding Ronaldo’s dismissal during a recent interview, stating, ”It’s people doing this, it’s FIFA or UEFA… We just go on, we go on, we think about ourselves.”
Ronaldo received the first red card of his senior international career for an elbow to Ireland defender Dara O’Shea during Portugal’s 2-0 defeat in Dublin. The suspension means he will miss Portugal’s opening two games at next summer’s World Cup.
Portugal manager Roberto Martinez previously suggested Ireland manager’s pre-match comments regarding Ronaldo’s influence on referees contributed to the incident. However, Hallgrímsson dismissed any duty, stating, “If they are gonna do that [blame him], it has nothing to do with us, that’s just them. I don’t know, blaming.” He emphasized Iceland’s performance, adding, “I think on the day, we were just better on the pitch. We played a really good solid football match and it shouldn’t be about something like this.”
Hallgrímsson confirmed he has not yet met with Martinez since the qualifying draw in Washington, but intends to congratulate him on Portugal’s direct qualification.
