Bruno Fernandes has been hit by a barrage of social media abuse after Portugal crashed out of the World Cup.
The Manchester United captain, 31, turned off the replies to his first post since their exit from the tournament in the wake of intense criticism from fans of Portugal team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, 41.
‘Sad, frustrated, and disillusioned,’ Fernandes wrote on Thursday. ‘This group of players made my expectations high, not only for the quality, but also for the fact of the incredible group that we built over these years.
‘Thank you to all the players, technical team, and all the staff who accompanied and helped us every day during the World Cup. To all the Portuguese, a huge thank you for your support and belief.’
Fernandes was among those accused of sabotaging Ronaldo on his World Cup swansong by fans on X and Instagram in the wake of their drab 1-1 draw with DR Congo in the group stage.
The Man United star, as well as Vitinha, Joao Neves and Pedro Neto, were inundated with claims of sabotage after the match.
It came after Ronaldo’s sister, Katia Aveiro, had sparked claims of a ‘civil war’ in the Portuguese camp when she liked an Instagram post from a football fan account accusing Fernandes of failing to deliver in a Portugal shirt by comparing him to under-fire Brazilian star Raphinha.
She wrote: ‘Magically, they forgot how to: pass the ball; win it back; launch counter-attacks. The game became all about passing backwards in midfield… strange World Cup. Very strange.’
And Fernandes has again faced abuse on X in response to his post, with the midfielder disabling the reply button.
One wrote: ‘He knows everybody knows he is a selfish player sabotaging Ronaldo for gaining his own spotlight.’
Another said: ‘Bruno Fernandes locking his comments section shows that everything said about him and his fellow midfielders during this World Cup is true.’
A third added: ‘Bruno Fernandes finally shows up… but on Instagram and X. On the pitch, nowhere to be found, Portugal eliminated and he still disables the comments.’
Others, however, felt Fernandes and his team-mates were not at fault. ‘Ronaldo is not Messi,’ one said. ‘If you watched Portugal, you would know they tried to pass to Ronaldo, but he is always in a tight space, and the 41-year-old can’t do anything in tight spaces anymore.
‘We have to accept he is too old to start due to energy demands, not technicalities. He can still score goals at 41, but he needs space and pace, which he now lacks. Stop blaming innocent players for Ronaldo.’
Ronaldo fans on social media accused some of his Portugal team-mates of ‘sabotaging’ him
Accusations were aimed at Ronaldo’s team-mates from his fanbase – including from his sister, Katia Aveiro (above) – alleging a plot to edge the ageing forward out of the game
Portugal were beaten 1-0 in the round of 16 by Spain after Mikel Merino’s stoppage-time winner gave them victory and a place in the quarter-finals.
It was Ronaldo’s last match at a World Cup after the Portugal forward confirmed the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico would be his last.
Manager Roberto Martinez also confirmed he was leaving his role at the end of their World Cup campaign. He is being replaced by Jorge Jesus, Ronaldo’s former manager at Al-Nassr.
Speaking after the 1-0 loss to Spain, Martinez said: ‘I came to Portugal with the objective of winning the World Cup and because I haven’t won it wouldn’t make sense to continue. My contract ends today.’
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