{"id":222545,"date":"2016-06-15T10:15:03","date_gmt":"2016-06-15T10:15:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=222545"},"modified":"2016-06-15T10:15:03","modified_gmt":"2016-06-15T10:15:03","slug":"cristiano-ronaldo-portugal-captain-criticizes-icelands-small-mentality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2016\/06\/cristiano-ronaldo-portugal-captain-criticizes-icelands-small-mentality\/","title":{"rendered":"Cristiano Ronaldo: Portugal captain criticizes Iceland’s ‘small mentality’"},"content":{"rendered":"
Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo hit out at Iceland’s lack of ambition after the two sides drew 1-1 at Euro 2016.<\/p>\n
The Real Madrid player also refused to shake the hands of the Iceland players after the group match in Saint-Etienne.<\/p>\n
“I thought they’d won the Euros the way they celebrated at the end,” he said.<\/p>\n
“It was unbelievable. We tried hard to win the game and Iceland didn’t try anything. This, in my opinion, shows a small mentality and they are not going to do anything in the competition.”<\/p>\n
But former Iceland international Hermann Hreidarsson called Ronaldo “petty” and a “sore loser”.<\/p>\n
The former Ipswich, Charlton and Portsmouth defender, 41, told BBC Radio 5 live: “He thought he could have goals handed to him on a plate.<\/p>\n
“If he would have worked as hard as every Icelandic player, he wouldn’t have had to say anything because I’m sure he would have got his rewards.<\/p>\n
“He didn’t fancy it on the day and he just got beaten up.”<\/p>\n
Ronaldo, making his 127th appearance for Portugal, said it had been a “lucky night” for his opponents and accused them of putting “the bus in the net”.<\/p>\n
Portugal had 72% of the possession and 26 shots on goal to Iceland’s four.<\/p>\n