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☆ Taylor Fritz: US tennis star hails ‘amazing’ impact of influencer girlfriend Morgan Riddle after impressive season
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Jamie Barton | Aleks Klosok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —It is no secret that American men’s tennis has been lacking a superstar for years. “I’ve had a really great year,” Fritz said in an interview with CNN Sport. Clive Brunskill/Getty ImagesDespite his strong year, Fritz is reluctant to see himself as the figure at the forefront of American men’s tennis. Riddle has become a fixture at grand slam events in recent years, supporting Fritz at major tournaments around the world. It’s just literally a couple matches here and there, one tournament where it kind of clicks.”Morgan Riddle cheers boyfriend Taylor Fritz during the US Open.

Persons: John Isner, Jack Sock, Sam Querrey –, Andy Roddick, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Taylor Fritz, “ I’ve, ” Fritz, Fritz, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner, Clive Brunskill, I’ve, ”, It’s, I’m, influencer Morgan Riddle, Riddle, Casper Ruud, Roland Garros, Tommy Paul, Ruud, Alexander Zverev, Frances Tiafoe, “, ” Morgan Riddle, Jean Catuffe, Nadal, –, – Fritz, “ There’s, Rafa, Federer, Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz Organizations: CNN, Olympics, CNN Sport, ATP, New York Times, tennis, Netflix, Indian, Australian, Wimbledon, Paris, American, Davis Locations: American, Turin, Italy

Now, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are fast becoming household names and the next generation-defining rivalry. However, Sinner and Alcaraz – ranked No. Due to their rapid success, it is easy to forget that Sinner is only 23 and Alcaraz just 21. Sinner hits a shot in the semifinals of the US Open, a tournament he went on to win. Time will tell if Sinner can put that ice-cold instinct to good use at the ATP Finals and win the tournament for the first time.

Persons: Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras dueled, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Federer, Alcaraz –, Roland Garros, Alcaraz, Italy –, Nadal, ” Alcaraz, ”, Andy, Murray, Sinner, Frey, JC Ferrero, Juan Carlos Ferrero, “, ‘ Oh, he’s, Sean M, it’s, Angela Weiss, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, Kylian, Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev Organizations: CNN, tennis, Australian, Wimbledon, ATP, CNN Sport, ATP Tour, JC, JC Ferrero Challenger, Getty, AC Milan, Manchester Locations: Turin, Italy, Flushing Meadows, China, Beijing, Shanghai, Real Madrid

☆ Rúben Amorim: Manchester United announce Portuguese coach as team’s new manager
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-01 | by ( Matias Grez | Aleks Klosok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Manchester United has announced the appointment of Rúben Amorim as the club’s new first-team head coach, following the sacking of Erik ten Hag. The 39-year-old has also won the Portuguese League Cup twice with Sporting and once with former club Braga in 2020. Sporting said in a statement that United will pay the Portuguese club €11 million ($11.95M) as a release fee to hire Amorim as first-team coach. Under the Dutchman, United won the 2023 League Cup and 2024 FA Cup but has struggled desperately in the Premier League. Familiar territorySix years ago, Amorim completed a week-long internship under then United manager and Portuguese compatriot José Mourinho.

Persons: Rúben Amorim, Erik ten, Amorim, “, ” United, Hag, United, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Justin Setterfield, CNN Sport’s, Amorim –, –, Hansi Flick, Vincent Kompany, Jurgen Klopp’s, David Moyes, INEOS, it’s, ‘ He’s, He’s, ” Pedro Pinto, Gualter Fatia, José Mourinho, he’ll, Bruno Fernandes –, Diogo Dalot, Manuel Ugarte, Fernandes, ”, Patricia de Melo Moreira, it’ll, “ Sir Alex Ferguson, ” Pinto, what’s, ‘ We’re, ’ ” Amorim Organizations: CNN, Manchester United, United, Sporting CP, Sporting, Portuguese League, Braga, ”, €, West, Premier League, Dutchman, Premier League ., League, Former United, Leicester City, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Anfield, West Ham United, ’, Sports, CNN Sport, Manchester, Arsenal, AFP, Getty, Red Devils, English Premier League, Europa League Locations: Portugal, West Ham, Amorim, Old Trafford, Lisbon – Portugal, Manchester City, Portuguese

☆ Erik ten Hag fired as manager of Premier League giant Manchester United
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-28 | by ( Ben Church | Aleks Klosok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Manchester United has confirmed manager Erik ten Hag has “left his role” at the club after a poor start to the new season. Despite the team failing to impress for large periods last season, the club’s new hierarchy appeared to back ten Hag, despite the team finishing eighth in the Premier League. Analysis by CNN Sport’s Aleks KlosokThe autopsy of ten Hag’s reign at Manchester United is at once a messy and clean dissection; the very definition of soccer’s Jekyll and Hyde. Identity complexLooking at the Premier League class of 2024, one could identify a playing style for 18 of the 20 teams in division. Ten Hag cut a frustrated figure in his last game in charge of Manchester United on Sunday.

Persons: Erik ten Hag, “, United, Erik, Ruud van Nistelrooy, ” Erik, Hag, Bruno Fernandes, Alex Pantling, Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS, Alex Ferguson, CNN Sport’s, Jekyll, INEOS, André Onana, – Lisandro Martínez, Antony, Matthijs de, Noussair Mazraoui, –, Joshua Zirkzee, Rasmus Højlund, Leny Yoro, Kobbie Mainoo, Amad Diallo, Alejandro Garnacho, who’s, Justin Setterfield, Glazer, Ferguson, Jim Ratcliffe, Andrew Couldridge, Nietzsche, Omar Berrada, who’ve Organizations: CNN, Manchester United, English Premier League, FA, Former Red Devils, Getty Images Manchester, Premier League, Manchester City, Chelsea, Ajax, Red Devils, West Ham United, Getty Images Manchester United, Academy Locations: West Ham, Hyde, Old Trafford, England, Europe, women’s

CNN —FIFA, football’s governing body, have announced a plan to address a Palestinian request to ban Israel from world football during a meeting held at their headquarters in Zurich on Thursday. The PFA called for FIFA to ban the IFA, its national teams and club teams earlier this year. FIFA charged an independent panel to pull together evidence which was presented on Thursday to the 37 members of the FIFA council. “The FIFA Disciplinary Committee will be mandated to initiate an investigation into the alleged offence of discrimination raised by the Palestine Football Association,” the outcome read. “The FIFA Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee will be entrusted with the mission to investigate – and subsequently advise the FIFA Council on – the participation in Israeli competitions of Israeli football teams allegedly based in the territory of Palestine.”Both men’s national teams are in action next week.

Persons: “, ” Gianni Infantino, ”, – Organizations: CNN — FIFA, FIFA Council, FIFA, FIFA Congress, ” CNN, Palestine Football Association, Israel Football Association, IFA, PFA, FIFA’s Congress, Palestinian, men’s, Israel, Nations League Locations: Israel, Zurich, Gaza, Palestine, Iraq, France

☆ Totò Schillaci: Tributes pour in for Italy soccer legend after his death aged 59
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Aleks Klosok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Former Italy and Juventus striker Salvatore “Totò” Schillaci, who was the top scorer at the 1990 World Cup on home soil, has died at the age of 59, his former club announced in a statement on Wednesday. “Salvatore Schillaci, known by everyone as Totò, the striker from the magic nights of Italia ’90 with our national team. Bon voyage, champion.”Schillaci played a starring role for Italy at the 1990 World Cup. In the aftermath of the World Cup, Schillaci would go on to score only once more for his country, a goal in a 2-1 defeat to Norway the following year in a qualifier for the 1992 UEFA European Championships. Schillaci announced his retirement from the game in 1999.

Persons: Salvatore “ Totò, Schillaci, “, Totò, Giorgia Meloni, “ Salvatore Schillaci, ” Schillaci, Paolo Bruno, d’Or –, –, Lothar Matthäus, Lorenzo Casini, ”, Japan’s J.League, Jubilo Iwata, Gabriele Gravina Organizations: CNN, Italy, Juventus, Argentina, England, Juve, Italy’s, ’, Getty, UEFA European, Coppa Italia, UEFA Cup, Inter Milan, Inter, Serie Locations: Italy, Italy’s, West Germany, Norway, Japan’s, Italian

CNN —When Joan Chelimo first met Rebecca Cheptegei, she remembers her fellow distance runner simply as a “normal, happy girl,” delighted to be competing at the Olympics. The pair had started talking after competing in the women’s marathon in Paris last month, Chelimo representing Romania and Cheptegei running for Uganda. On Friday, a day before Cheptegei’s funeral in eastern Uganda, Tirop’s Angels hosted a femicide walk in the Kenyan city of Eldoret. There have been plenty of challenges along the way for those involved in Tirop’s Angels, particularly in the early days. “The first time we started Tirop’s Angels, we had a lot of rejection,” says Chelimo.

Persons: Joan Chelimo, Rebecca Cheptegei, ”, “, Chelimo, ” Weeks, Cheptegei, Dickson Ndiema, jerry, Ndiema, I’ve, It’s, ” Chelimo, Mattia Ozbot, ‘ I’m, ’, Agnes Tirop, Ibrahim Rotich, Rotich, Dylan Martinez, …, Andrew Kasuku, Mutua, Agnes, Joseph, –, ” –, “ I’m Organizations: CNN, Olympics, CNN Sport, Ndiema, Athletics, Tirop’s Angels, Kenyan, Reuters, ”, Investigations Locations: Paris, Chelimo, Romania, Uganda, Kenya, Trans Nzoia, Rome, Africa, Budapest, Kenyan, Eldoret, Angels, Angola

CNN —Not even three months into her time as head coach of the US women’s soccer team, Emma Hayes is already going for an Olympic gold medal. Only Brazil and the legendary Marta stand between the US and a record-extending fifth Olympic title, which would be the team’s first gold medal since 2012. ET at the Parc des Princes, but a Marta-inspired Brazil is a challenging prospect for any team. “It will be a chaotic game, I’m sure … I expect it to be quite a battle, quite feisty. For the most storied team in women’s soccer, it would happily usher in the end of a long tournament and the start of a new era.

Persons: Emma Hayes, Marta, Hayes ’, “ It’s, ” Hayes, Amanda Davies, Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman, Agustin Marcarian, “ I’m, ”, Hayes, ” Rodman, “, “ I’ve, I’m, Nir Elias, Chelsea’s, “ You’ve, Alex Livesey, Emma, ” Smith, It’s Organizations: CNN, Zambia, Japan, US, Parc des Princes, France, Spain, Paris, Sweden, Germany, Reuters, Australia, Getty Locations: Brazil, Paris, Germany, Australia, Japan, Parc des, France, women’s

French authorities patrol on a boat on the Seine river, ahead of the Olympic Games in Paris, on July 24. No planes will be allowed to fly over Paris, unless they are part of the ceremony. “There cannot be any party if there’s no security, and we want the celebration to be fantastic,” Paris 2024 CEO Étienne Thobois said. The Games also come amid the backdrop of geopolitical tensions around the world with wars ongoing in Gaza and Ukraine, among others. “The Games are not immune to what is happening on the geopolitical scene,” said Thobois.

Persons: Miguel Medina, Étienne Thobois, “, ” Organizations: Olympic Games, Getty Locations: Paris, AFP, Gaza, Ukraine

☆ ‘I’m really proud of our team’: Lewis Hamilton praises England’s Euros resilience ahead of his final British GP with Mercedes
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Amanda Davies | Aleks Klosok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Lewis Hamilton and the England men’s soccer team share a thing or two in common. “I’m really, really proud of our team just with all the difficulties that they’ve experienced, and they’ve faced just time and time again, just continuing to get up and the resilience. Fortunately, though, his home race has proved to be a very happy hunting ground with Hamilton winning a record eight times at the circuit. “I think when we were winning all the time, it was just, ‘Yeah, we’re winning.’ That’s where I think that was. What chance then of a win this season to cap off his 12th and final season at Mercedes?

Persons: CNN — Lewis Hamilton, Hamilton, Niki Lauda, he’d, Michael Schumacher’s, Gareth Southgate, “, Amanda Davies, Antony Dickson, I’m, they’ve, Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane, Phil Foden, John Sibley, “ We’ve, …, ”, don’t, you’re, peerless, George Russell, McLaren’s Lando Norris, Ollie Bearman who’ll, Haas, Bryn Lennon, we’re, We’re, I’ve, Mercedes, ” Hamilton, Clive Rose, Mercedes ’, Red Bull, Ferrari, – Hamilton, Russell, you’ve, everyone’s, ’ That’s, hasn’t Organizations: CNN, England, IWC, Prix, South China Morning, Lions, Real, Premier League, Southgate, Bellingham, Slovakia, Ferrari, US, Sao Paulo, Silver Arrows, Brit, Mercedes, Silverstone, Austrian, Constructors, Hamilton Locations: Melbourne, England, Germany, IWC Schaffhausen, British, Macau, South, European, Slovakia, Hamilton, Austin, Silverstone, Sao, Montreal, Spain, Austrian, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi

☆ Lorenzo Somaschini: Nine-year-old Argentinian motorcycle rider dies after crash at Interlagos
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( George Ramsay | Aleks Klosok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A nine-year-old motorcycle rider from Argentina has died after crashing during a practice session at the Interlagos Circuit in São Paulo, Brazil. Lorenzo Somaschini was participating in the first free practice session of the Jr Cup on Friday when he had a fall and was immediately treated by medics at the scene, race organizer SuperBike Brasil said in a statement. “The whole SuperBike Brasil team is saddened by the event and expresses its sincere condolences to all of Lorenzo’s family and friends,” said SuperBike Brasil. Somaschini, known as “Lolo,” rode under the number 99 as a tribute to his idol, Spain’s three-time MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo. “My heart breaks because also I was his idol and he wore my number,” Lorenzo wrote on Instagram Stories.

Persons: Lorenzo Somaschini, Albert, ”, Somaschini, Diego Pierluigi, “, Lolo, Pierluigi, Jorge Lorenzo, ” Lorenzo, ‘ Lolo, ’ Organizations: CNN, Interlagos, Brasil, Geral de, Albert Einstein, Reuters Locations: Argentina, São Paulo, Brazil, Geral de Pedreira, Pinheirinho

CNN —Sardinia, Italy (CNN) – Uruguay at the 1950 World Cup. Cameroon at the 1990 World Cup. Lewandowski celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group C match against Saudi Arabia at the Education City Stadium in Al-Rayyan, west of Doha on November 26, 2022. “I think we are playing good football [and] we know that we are not the favourites in the group stage. “They were fighting [a] similar situation before the World Cup and they were so close and now they did it,” he said.

Persons: Robert Lewandowski, CNN’s Sport’s Amanda Davies, Valeriy Bondar, Adam Nurkiewicz, Fernando Santos, –, Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Alex Caparros, who’ll, “, ”, Austria –, Lewandowski, Andrej Isakovic, Boris Streubel, Gerd Müller’s, He’ll, Kylian, wasn’t, ’, he’ll, Andriy Shevchenko, Joosep Martinson, you’ve Organizations: CNN, –, Cameroon, Globe Soccer, Stadion Narodowy, La Liga, FC Barcelona, Real Sociedad, Estadi, Wales, France, eventual, Portugal, Saudi, Education City, Getty, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Bayern, League, Austria, Kylian Mbappé’s, Champions League, Ukrainian, PGE, Russia, Qatar, Sergiy, Iceland, Romania Locations: Sardinia, Italy, – Uruguay, Greece, Poland, Ukraine, Warsaw, Europe, Michał, Moldova, Albania, Barcelona, Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Al, Doha, AFP, Dortmund, Berlin, German, Poland’s, Kylian Mbappé’s France, Russia, Slovakia, Belgium

☆ Diede de Groot: The unstoppable force in tennis leaving no stone unturned in pursuit of greatness
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Aleks Klosok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Wheelchair tennis player Diede de Groot, though, has been unequivocally the dominant constant in the face of those challenges. Diede De Groot is one of the most decorated tennis players of all time. “Twenty years ago wheelchair tennis was one of the biggest Paralympic sports in the Netherlands,” says De Groot. So, it’s just a coincidence … but it’s a funny coincidence!”De Groot has won a total of 39 grand slam titles. It’s a really fun time to be a wheelchair tennis player.”De Groot has noticed a recent improvement in visibility for wheelchair players.

Persons: CNN —, Diede de Groot, ‘, ” De Groot, “ They’re, Diede De Groot, Scott Barbour, De Groot, “, ”, Groot, I’m, ” De, Frank Franklin II, Esther Vergeer’s, Roland Garros, Vergeer, Shingo Kunieda, De Groot’s, Vergeer’s –, Julian Finney, –, Mike Hewitt, …, Alfie Hewitt, Novak … he’s, Dylan Alcott, It’s, Lewis Storey, I’ve, “ It’s, Ivan Alvarado Organizations: CNN, Wheelchair, Paralympic, De, Getty, Lawn Tennis Association, Tennis Centre, ATP, WTA, Miami Open, Wimbledon, Tokyo Games, Reuters Locations: Paris, Dutch, Amstelveen, Netherlands, Woerden, Miami, Tokyo, Rio

Now, Kylian Mbappé, who is widely expected to imminently join Real Madrid, says he’s looking forward to the challenge of playing in a new country. Spada/LaPresse/ShutterstockThe first time Real came calling for Mbappé was when the forward was just 13 years old. In his comic book, “Je m’appelle Kylian (I’m called Kylian),” Mbappé describes his dreams of one day playing in the famed white shirt of Los Blancos. We won the league and went to the semifinal of the Champions [League], but I did nothing important in the world of football. I’m French, I’m from Paris, so it was something special.

Persons: Italy CNN —, Germain, Kylian Mbappé, imminently, ” Mbappé, Amanda Davies, “, ”, “ It’s, it’s, Mbappé, Real, –, Frenchman, Matthias Hangst, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo Nazário, Luís Figo, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká –, Karim Benzema, Vinícius Jr, Jude Bellingham, Will Mbappé, Alain Jocard, I’m, “ I’ve, that’s Organizations: Italy CNN, Paris Saint, Real Madrid, CNN, Globe Soccer, PSG …, French, PSG, Global, France, Real, Borussia Dortmund, Champions League, London’s Wembley, League, Bayern Munich, RC Lens, Getty, Paris, AS Monaco, Ligue, Champions, “ Locations: Sardinia, Italy, Spada, Paris, Qatar, Real Madrid, Lyon, London’s, France, England, Spain, Germany, Lisbon, AFP, Monaco

☆ Gareth Southgate eyes defining moment ahead of possible last dance at Euro 2024 with England
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Amanda Davies | Aleks Klosok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

It’s ultimately where you’re judged and these are the opportunities to make history,” Southgate told CNN Sport’s Amanda Davies. Clive Rose/Getty ImagesAnd then one heart-breaking step closer – a penalty shootout loss to Italy in the final of Euro 2020. Laurence Griffiths/Getty ImagesWhen asked whether it was indeed the best chance, Southgate replied: “It’s the next chance, so we’ll only know afterwards whether it was the best chance. Lee Smith/Action Images/ReutersIndeed, Southgate is no stranger at having to navigate the hostile dynamic that has often existed between the England team and the British media. “When you’re on the cusp on a tournament like this then every hour you’re thinking about the team, nothing else.

Persons: Gareth Southgate, He’s, It’s, you’re, ” Southgate, Amanda Davies, “, we’ll, Southgate, Luka, Clive Rose, ”, you’ve, Jadon Sancho, Laurence Griffiths, Trent Alexander, Arnold, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Harry Kane, We’ve, they’re, Lee Smith, effacing Southgate, “ Don’t, hadn’t, Nick Potts, ‘, Sam Allardyce’s, “ I’ve, I’ve, I’m, There’s Organizations: CNN, England, Malta, Germany, England’s Football Association, Lions, Manchester United, Southgate, English, Middlesbrough Locations: Germany, Luka Modrić, Croatia, Italy, Russia, England, France, ” England, Southgate, British, “

CNN —Few athletes can claim to be as dominant in their discipline as Mondo Duplantis, the pole vault star who has broken the world record a staggering seven times. And as for world records, Duplantis promises that he’s not done yet. “But when you get it right, it’s like you’re kind of doing this little dance with the pole. “You have to be a little bit – or quite a bit – crazy to be able to dare to pole vault because it is a little bit of a freaky sport, in a way,” he explains. “It’s still the same old pole vault,” he says.

Persons: Mondo Duplantis, Duplantis, he’s, Amanda Davies, “, heptathlete, Michael Steele, ”, you’re, Sam Kendricks, Karalis, It’s, I’ve Organizations: CNN, Paris Olympics Locations: Paris, Sweden, Lafayette , Louisiana, Glasgow, Scotland, everything’s, Louisiana

CNN —That a crowd of thousands gathered for the funeral of Kelvin Kiptum was testament to the marathon world record holder’s staggering impact on his sport. “You ask yourself so many questions as to why, but sometimes it’s hard to get answers,” double Olympic gold medalist David Rudisha tells CNN about his compatriot’s untimely death. “The last few weeks have been a really sad moment for Kenyans,” says Rudisha, himself a world record holder over 800 meters. “Kelvin was very special, coming up and running just three marathons, all of them under two hours, two minutes. “Everybody feels good to watch a world record,” he says.

Persons: Kelvin Kiptum, “, ”, David Rudisha, Kiptum, Gervais Hakizimana, Mustafa Yalcin, Rudisha, it’s, Kelvin, ” Rudisha, Quinn Rooney, Emmanuel Wanyonyi Organizations: CNN, Paris, Getty Locations: Kenya, Eldoret, Chicago, London, Anadolu, Rio

“I’ve always treated football refereeing in my games as if I were coming in to referee a World Cup final,” she says. Claudia Vasconcelos refereeing during the 1991 third-place playoff. Ingrid Jonsson, a lineswoman in the 1991 World Cup final, was the first female official chosen to referee a final. By 1999, all the officials chosen for the World Cup in the USA were women. Claudia Vasconcelos refereeing Flamengo vs. Vasco in the 1994 junior Campeonato Carioca.

Persons: Claudia Vasconcelos, ”, Vasconcelos, wouldn’t, hesitancy, Linda Black, Zuo Xiudi, Tommy Cheng, Brazil’s Vasconcelos, –, “ I’ve, Chen guo, ” Vasconcelos, “, Ingrid Jonsson, Matthew Ashton, ’ ” Vasconcelos, João Havelange, Pelé, Sweden’s Ingrid Jonsson, Stéphanie, Bibiana, Sian Massey, Ellis, Vasco Organizations: CNN, FIFA, Guangdong, Women’s Football, M’s, CNN Sport, Argentina, Premier League, Flamengo, Campeonato Carioca, trailblazer Locations: Guangzhou, China, Sweden, Germany, AFP, New, Australia, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Argentina, Mexico, Guangdong, EMPICS, Brazilian, USA

☆ Cristiano Ronaldo: Portuguese Football Federation denies reports that star threatened to walk out of World Cup camp
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Aleks Klosok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) on Thursday denied that star forward Cristiano Ronaldo had threatened to leave the World Cup squad after being named as a substitute against Switzerland earlier this week. The 37-year-old striker was dropped from the starting lineup for Tuesday’s last 16 clash with his replacement, Benfica forward Gonçalo Ramos, stepping up to score a sublime hat-trick as Portugal thumped the Swiss 6-1. Portuguese publication Record reported on Thursday that the striker had previously threatened to leave the squad following a conversation with manager Fernando Santos. “The FPF clarifies that at no time did the captain of the national team, Cristiano Ronaldo, threaten to leave the national team during the stay in Qatar,” read the statement. It was the first time Ronaldo was left out of the starting lineup for Portugal at a major tournament since Euro 2008.

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