Gonçalo Ramos defends playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo as the Portugal controversy continues
Gonçalo Ramos has weighed in on the debate over Cristiano Ronaldo’s place in Portugal’s attack, arguing that the two forwards can share the pitch. The Portugal striker spoke in an interview with Canal 11, at a time when the national team captain is still dealing with the fallout from his walkout earlier this month.
Ronaldo left the national team camp before the Nations League match against Denmark after a dispute with coach Jorge Jesus over his playing time. Later, the Portuguese Football Federation’s Disciplinary Council found him guilty of leaving without authorization and handed him a 30-day suspension and a €255 fine.
Ramos, meanwhile, has been one of the players who stepped up in his absence, scoring the winner over Norway and starring in the 4-2 victory in Denmark. Asked whether it means something special to come on and score with one of the greatest players of all time alongside him, Ramos said the squad respects Ronaldo’s status and insisted that the two can often play together.
“There was a game at the Estádio do Dragão against Slovakia when we played together. We had a great game, and so did the whole team,” the striker said as proof that the combination works.
The AC Milan forward also tried to dispel the idea that one of them has to sit on the bench for the other to play, and said he does not want any teammate taken off to make room for him. “I think that’s what people often fail to understand. They think that, to play Gonçalo, Cris has to come off, and for Cris to play, Gonçalo has to sit on the bench. That isn’t necessarily the case,” he explained.
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Ramos steps up in Ronaldo’s absence
Ramos took full advantage of the minutes he received during the UEFA Nations League window, in which Ronaldo was left out of the starting lineup and later left the camp. Against Norway, he scored the decisive goal in the 86th minute to give Portugal a 2-1 comeback win.
Days later, in Copenhagen, he led the attack in a 4-2 victory over Denmark. The AC Milan forward was decisive, scoring Portugal’s second goal and providing an assist to help lead the team to victory.
Ramos’s strong run in the Nations League has strengthened his case to keep a prominent role in Portugal’s attack, but his words suggest he does not see himself as a replacement for Ronaldo.
With the captain serving a suspension and his future still unresolved, the debate over how to fit the veteran and the 25-year-old forward into the same lineup is likely to continue, and in the end it will be Jorge Jesus who decides.
