Cristiano Ronaldo’s disappointment was palpable as he expressed his discontent with the officiating after Portugal’s surprising defeat to Slovenia on March 26.
Portugal, the victors of Euro 2016, ventured to Ljubljana for a friendly encounter with the home team.
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Roberto Martinez, the head coach, was eager to extend his victorious run since assuming control of the squad the previous year.
Martinez implemented significant changes from the team that secured a victory over Sweden in Guimaraes the preceding week.
Several key players, including Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, and Ruben Dias, were excused to rejoin their respective clubs.
Ronaldo, absent from the prior match, rejoined the team but was unable to influence the outcome positively, as Slovenia, ranked 55th by FIFA, emerged triumphant due to goals from Adam Gnezda Cerin and Timi Max Elsnik in the latter half.
At the conclusion of the match, Ronaldo swiftly exited the field, bypassing any formalities, and was seen vehemently expressing his grievances to the fourth official near the dugout.
Cristiano Ronaldo left the pitch attacking the referee after ghosting against Slovenia.
No Penalty, No Party !!!????
pic.twitter.com/4QTynEKPmI— Semper Fi (@SemperFiMessi) March 27, 2024
Reports from various media sources suggest that Ronaldo’s frustration stemmed from the match officials’ refusal to award Portugal two penalty kicks.
With the European season drawing to a close, Martinez and his team must regroup for a hectic summer schedule.
They are slated to compete in three preparatory matches against Finland, Croatia, and Ireland in June before embarking on their Euro campaign with a match against the Czech Republic on June 18.
In their remaining Group F games, they will compete against Turkey and the debutant qualifiers, Georgia.
