Cristiano Ronaldo had some kind words for his Real Madrid teammate Gareth Bale, after going head-to-head against during Portugal’s Euro 2016 semi-final clash against Wales.
Ronaldo was filmed hugging Bale after Portugal beat out Wales 2-0 in the crucial match, with him also talking to his Madrid partner after the final whistle had been blown. Speaking in a press conference following the match, Ronaldo was asked what he had said to Bale, to which he replied: “I congratulated them on their run. They had an amazing run. They were the shining star here, the revelation team.” He added: “I wished them good luck and as for the rest I would rather not say.”
As for Portugal’s chances of winning the final, Ronaldo was typically optimistic. The striker said: “I have always dreamed of winning for Portugal, I hope it is our turn now. I am very confident and I believe that all these boys deserve it. I deserve it, Portugal deserves it, the fans deserve it – every single Portuguese person deserves it. They’ve been amazing supporters.”
Despite Bale having been instrumental in Wales’ unforeseen success during the Euro 2016 competition, he failed to put in another winning performance for his side during the semi-final, with Portugal gliding towards the final where they will play the winner of Germany and France’s match later today. Bale expressed disappointment at the result but wasn’t too disheartened after the match, saying: “We’re bitterly disappointed to be so close to the final but we have to be proud. We have achieved a lot. We’ve had a taste of it now and we look forward to the future. We have confidence. We don’t just want to turn up to one tournament, it’s about the bigger picture for us.”
Wales were one of the outsiders to win the tournament but finished top of their group above a lackluster England side. Meanwhile, Portugal failed to set the world alight in the run-up to the semi-final, having won just one game in 90 minutes throughout the duration of the tournament.
