Johannesburg - Cristiano Ronaldo's girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez has slammed Portugal coach Fernando Santos following the national team's shock exit at the World Cup.
Portugal's star-studded squad were one of the favourites to win the World Cup, but a first-half header by Morocco's Youssef En-Nesyri saw them dumped out of the competition at the quarter-final stage.
Ronaldo watched from the bench as the Atlas Lions took the lead in the first half. The 37-year-old forward started his second successive match on the bench after his replacement in the round of 16 match, Goncalo Ramos scored a hat-trick against Switzerland.
As their exit beckoned, Santos threw on the national team's all-time goalscorer in the 51st minute but he was largely ineffective, firing just one shot at goal as Portugal crashed out of what many expect to be Ronaldo's last World Cup.
Rodriguez took to her Instagram account to express her feelings towards Santos, revealing that she felt her partner had been betrayed.
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"Today, your friend and coach made the wrong decision. That friend for whom you have so many words of admiration and respect. The same one who, when putting you on the field, saw how everything changed, but it was too late," she wrote.
"You can't underestimate the best player in the world, it's most powerful weapon. Much less should one stand up for those who don't deserve it. Life gives us lessons. Today we don't lose, we learn. We admire you."
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IOL Sport