Fernando Santos: "It's good to feel the pressure as favourites, we all want to win"

   MADRID, 5 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Portugal coach, Fernando Santos, predicted this Monday a "very tough match, between two very strong teams" against Switzerland, for which he pointed out that it is "very good" to feel the "pressure" of the favourite, in a tournament that "all "they want to win, at the same time that he acknowledged that he did not like Cristiano Ronaldo's gesture at all" before his change in the game against South Korea.

"It will be a very difficult match against Switzerland, between two very strong teams. But we believe in victory," said the coach at the press conference prior to the match against the Swiss team this Tuesday (8:00 p.m.).

It will be the sixth confrontation between the two European teams in the last six years, which makes Santos foresee a "complicated" duel. "They are very organized, with high-quality players who know very well how to play, very much in tune with the same objective. We expect a well-organized and disciplined Switzerland," he analyzed.

"We want to continue in the World Cup. If you ask me if we are favourites, we will play until we are favourites. We don't look at whether we are favorites or candidates, but we have a team to win. It is very good to feel this pressure, we all want to win and we are focused on this", he related, after the Swiss 'staff' described the Portuguese as favorites in the round of 16.

To reach the quarterfinals, Santos insisted that they must work "even harder" than in the group stage, in which they were leaders. "We have to be focused on tomorrow's game and on ourselves, we have to be positive," he added.

In addition, the Portuguese coach discussed the possible signing of Cristiano Ronaldo by the Saudi club Al Nassr, something he has not discussed with the striker. "I didn't know anything. But this is the situation he has to deal with, we're in the World Cup, and that's what we're focused on," he stressed.

"You have to ask Cristiano what he thinks, but I have to say that we feel that the press is messing with the team and that includes Ronaldo. But it doesn't divide us. It gives us strength," he added, insisting that the matter " it's finished". "I only choose the alignment in the stadium, and it will always be like this. The Al-Nassr thing is his question, he is focused on the World Cup," he settled.

Santos did value the gesture of the Portuguese 'crack' when he was substituted against South Korea in the 65th minute, something that the striker did not seem to like. "On the field I didn't hear anything, I was far away and I only heard a discussion with a Korean player. I didn't like the images at all, but these issues are resolved at home and it's time to think about tomorrow's game," he explained.

For his part, defender Rúben Dias stated that "many things" should not change for this match and enter themselves for these round of 16. "We must bear in mind that it is a single game, there is no room for errors. We have to focus on preparing ourselves in the best way to face this game," he said.

"We expect a high-level match, especially considering the competition we are playing. We are focused on ourselves, and what we have to do. Switzerland have different weapons and will want to play the game 50-50," he added.

The Manchester City central defender stressed that "there are no favourites" in this duel, as it is a match "between two teams of great value". "It's a 'KO' tie," he added, before highlighting the strength of the Portuguese group. "We are not a great team just because of the players we have. We are better for the entire squad, with a lot of quality in many positions," he concluded.