Silva says Portugal ready for spotlight without Ronaldo
Real Madrid's Silva, who inherits the captain's armband from Ronaldo, admitted that the striker had been the main focus for much of the past two decades but backed the team to cope with the pressure in the 41-year-old's absence.
Key points
- Portugal's Bernardo Silva speaks on the eve of a Nations League A4 match against Denmark in Braga (Bo Amstrup) Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva said Friday his team could cope with any extra pressure on them following Cristiano Ronaldo's international retirement, ahead of their first match without the superstar forward.
- Most people went to the stadium to see Cristiano, many went just for him, and that's not going to happen now," Silva told reporters.
- Whether Ronaldo will be present is unknown, after he fell out with veteran coach Jorge Jesus in September.
Ronaldo made his debut for Portugal in 2003 and went on to play a world record 234 times for his country, scoring 146 goals.
Additional details
- Last week Ronaldo said he was bringing down the curtain on his storied international career.
- Jorge Jesus's side host Denmark in Braga on Saturday in the Nations League, with a tribute planned for their all-time leading goalscorer.
- "Nobody can forget Cris's 23 years in the national team and everything he did," Jesus told reporters.
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