Please interpret the video below as you wish.
A striking image from after the final whistle shows Cristiano Ronaldo gesticulating when national coach Fernando Santos walks towards him.
–
A failure because of the (not at all successful) pragmatic approach of Portugal against Serbia? Santos gave his version of the facts during the press conference.
“Cristiano said he scored a goal in Serbia that was not awarded (and would have qualified Portugal, ed.)”, it sounded. “It’s normal that he was frustrated. No one will explain at the end of a game what went wrong and what didn’t.”
Yet Santos’ position with Portugal is more shaky than ever. Many accuse the national coach of a much too defensive approach with a selection that is brimming with offensive talent.
Ronaldo himself reacted after the missed qualification: “The result was hard to bear, but not enough to make us give up. The goal of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup is still very much alive. No excuses. Portugal goes to Qatar .”
–
In Serbia they didn’t care about the sulking Portuguese. Match winner Aleksandar Mitrovic celebrated qualifying for Qatar yesterday with the accompanying fans. The striker walked onto the field in his underpants, waving a Serbian flag.
What a difference with almost exactly one year ago. Then Mitrovic missed the decisive penalty against Scotland in the battle for a European Championship ticket.
–
Other compatriots also celebrated the success exuberantly. Tennis player Novak Djokovic shared a video on his social media in which he goes completely crazy after qualifying.
Several dozen fans in Belgrade harassed Ronaldo by unpacking with his famous celebration.
–
