Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva has paid credit to Fernando Santos after he made the decision to stand down as Portugal manager, less than a week after they bowed out of the World Cup at the quarter-final stage.
After winning Group H and coming through their round-of-16 clash with flying colours, hammering Switzerland 6-1, Portugal were knocked out of the competition by surprise package Morocco last Saturday afternoon, losing 1-0. That brought their hopes of winning a first-ever World Cup title to an end, leaving former Manchester United man Cristiano Ronaldo in tears, at the end of what was likely to have been his last-ever appearance at the World Cup.
Santos, who guided Portugal to European Championship glory in 2016, beating France 1-0 in the final in Paris, has stepped down as boss after eight years in charge. He also guided Portugal to the inaugural Nations League title in June 2019.
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However, he struggled to ever ensure Portugal fully delivered the goods at the World Cup, with their run to the quarter-finals in Qatar being the furthest they ever went in the three World Cups he was in charge for. But despite the heartbreak they suffered against Morocco last weekend, City ace Bernardo has sent an emotional message in Santos' direction, thanking him for all of his efforts in a social media post.
"Thank you to our Mr. Fernando Santos," Bernardo posted on his Instagram page. "The coach who launched me almost eight years ago in our national team.
"The coach who won with Portugal the only two titles in our history. Many moments of joy and some moments of sadness, but above all and most importantly, the pleasure of being able to work with a great man who will forever stay in the history of our football."
Santos came under fire from Portuguese fans for his decision to drop Ronaldo for the clashes with Switzerland and Morocco in Qatar. It paid off in the last-16, with Ronaldo's replacement, Goncalo Ramos, coming into the side and scoring a hat-trick. Against Morocco, however, he had no such luck, calling on Ronaldo to step off the bench and try and get them out of jail.
In a statement, the Portuguese Football Federation said: "It was an honour to have a coach and a person like Fernando Santos at the head of the national team. The FPF [Portuguese Football Federation] thanks Fernando Santos and his technical team for the services provided over eight unique years and believes that this thanks is also made on behalf of the Portuguese people.
"The FPF board will now begin the process of choosing the next national coach."
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