According to reports in Portugal, boss Fernando Santos would remain the manager of his team, despite them failing to secure a direct booking to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
After the game, Cameras caught Cristiano Ronaldo expressing some actions that depicted a man displeased with the Portuguese boss. However, the Portuguese FA would be sticking with Santos for the Play-offs.
Portugal’s World Cup hope gets tougher
The once European Champions now have their hopes to be at the Qatar world cup hanging by thread.
What is more distressing, is the group in which the Portuguese team found themselves. It was a pretty easy group with the likes of Azerbaijan, Luxemburg and Serbia.
Fernando Santos – Now under more pressure than ever
Due to how easy on paper the Portuguese group looked, their failure to qualify has now been met by disappointment and anger by their supporters.
Despite Ronaldo's motivational statements after the game, many Portuguese fans have still called for Fernando Santos to be stripped of his managerial duties.
Statements from the Portuguese camp
Despite the plea from fans, the Portuguese FA has revealed they would be pitching their tents with Fernando Santos. At least until their playoffs.
Conclusion
The actions of the Portuguese FA have revealed that they believe in the project of Fernando Santos.
It would be interesting to see if the team's performances at the playoffs would replicate such beliefs.
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