Cristiano Ronaldo‘s sister has liked an Instagram post attacking Bruno Fernandes – igniting reports of tension in the Portuguese camp after their drab 1-1 draw with DR Congo on Wednesday.
Having boarded their plane to the United States as one of the favourites, Portugal got their World Cup campaign off to a dismal start in Houston.
Joao Neves put Roberto Martinez’s side 1-0 up early on with an impressive header but, on the brink of half-time, the African nation struck back through Yoan Wissa.
And that’s how the tie ended, despite Portugal sitting 37 places above DR Congo in FIFA’s world rankings.
The backlash in Portugal has been unsurprisingly rife, with calls growing for Ronaldo to be dropped after the ex-Man United star failed to register a single shot on target in Texas.
But now, in a dramatic turn of events, Ronaldo’s sister appears to have thrown her support behind an attack on Red Devils captain Fernandes.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s sister appears to have liked a social media post criticising Bruno Fernandes
Portugal slumped to a 1-1 draw against DR Congo in their World Cup opener on Wednesday
Katia Aveiro threw her support behind a post accusing Fernandes of failing to perform for Portugal
The 41-year-old’s elder sibling Katia Aveiro liked an Instagram post by a Brazilian page accusing Fernandes of performing for United, but failing to turn up in a Portuguese shirt.
The account also compared the United captain to Barcelona winger Raphinha, whose poor form for Brazil has brought him a wave of criticism this week.
‘This one here is the Raphinha for Portugal. Too much popcorn for the national team,’ the post, featuring a picture of Fernandes, read.
However, Ronaldo has bore the brunt of the backlash after appearing a shadow of his former self during the clash.
The Al Nassr forward registered just 25 touches against Congo and failed to fashion a single clear-cut chance – yet, still, was not substituted.
With 83 minutes on the clock and Portugal in desperate need of a goal, Martinez instead opted to replace Champions League-winning midfielder Vitinha with Goncalo Ramos.
The move was blasted by ex-England forward Chris Sutton as ’embarrassing’ on BBC Radio 5 Live.
‘He (Martinez) is scared to take him off. He is not the manager. He (Ronaldo) might score the winner, but the game passed him by,’ Sutton fumed.
‘He is a brilliant player. He was once the playmaker, but now he is the poacher. He is not only the poacher, but he runs the estate.
Portugal manager Roberto Martinez has been criticised for his refusal to substitute Ronaldo – and has now been linked with a move to the superstar’s club, Al Nassr
Ronaldo won his first Saudi Pro League title with the Riyadh-based club this season
But the icon has become increasingly ineffective leading the line for Portugal
‘I don’t understand some of his management. Cristiano Ronaldo was on the periphery and Martinez has to be brave enough to be the manager.’
Martinez responded to that criticism by insisting that it would have made ‘no sense’ to substitute the greatest goalscorer in Portuguese history when his country needed a goal.
‘We were finding it difficult because they were playing in a back six,’ Martinez argued.
‘And in a situation like that, you can use his qualities. It makes no sense to get a player like Cristiano out of the game where you need goals.
‘The straight line is not the quickest way. The way he attracts defenders and uses space is valuable. When you need goals, you need a player like Cristiano Ronaldo on the pitch.’
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This summer’s tournament is expected to be Martinez’s final one at the helm, with a return to club football seeming likely.
And reports emerging today suggest that the 52-year-old is in talks with Ronaldo’s Al Nassr over a potential cash-grab switch to the Middle East.
The Saudi Pro League side are on the hunt for a new manager to replace Jorge Jesus, who departed last month after winning the league.
It was initially thought that the Saudi Government-owned club had their sights set on the appointment of ex-Fulham boss Marco Silva, but he looks set to join Benfica.
Martinez has not managed a club side in a decade but a move to Al Nassr could be ideal for the ex-Wigan Athletic and Everton boss.
He would team up with not only Ronaldo in Riyadh, but also Joao Felix, who has too travelled Stateside with Portugal for the World Cup.
