Portugal’s captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, expects to showcase his famous “Siu” celebration to Rasmus Hojlund and Denmark during the Nations League quarterfinals.
“For me, it was not a problem,” Ronaldo said before the second leg of their quarterfinal.
“I knew that this was not because he did not have respect for me.
“I’m smart enough to understand that not only him but also people from other sports around the world do my celebration,” the Portuguese star told reporters before Sunday’s clash.
“For me, it is an honor.
“But [on Sunday] I hope that he can see my celebration. It is OK for me. If I score, it’s good for me, but if I don’t score and someone else scores, that’s fine with me.”
Hojlund scored the winning goal against Portugal in the first leg of their quarterfinal on Thursday and performed his version of the “Siu” celebration but stated it was not meant to mock his “idol.”
The Manchester United forward’s 78th-minute strike earned Denmark a 1-0 first-leg win over Ronaldo’s Portugal, with the 40-year-old striker completely frozen out at the other end on a frustrating night.
“I’m playing against the world’s best footballer, my idol, and to score and become the [match] winner, it couldn’t be better,” Hojlund told Denmark’s TV2.
“It was not to mock him or anything, I’ve always said he has had great importance for me and my football career.
“Scoring against him and Portugal is huge, I went to see him in 2009, where he scored from a free kick, and I’ve been a fan ever since.”
‘Don’t be nervous’
Ronaldo acknowledged the pressure surrounding Portugal as they aim to overturn the first-leg deficit, but he is confident the home crowd can contribute to turning the tie around.
The Al-Nassr striker was critical of his performance and that of his team in the first leg in Copenhagen, but he is optimistic that the team can unite and progress to the semifinals.
“The air is more tense. I’m not hiding it. We’re in a tense moment because we need to win, but that’s the beautiful thing about football,” Ronaldo told reporters on Saturday.
“Tomorrow, I’m calling on the fans to be with us. Let them give us their strength, because we’re going to try to do our best.
“I’ve lost games in 90 minutes, but I’ve never lost in the first leg. There are games like that, there are bad days. I didn’t play at all the other day, the team didn’t play at all, but it’s part of life.
Tomorrow I want to leave the Alvalade Stadium with my head held high. If I score, I’ll be happy, but if I don’t score, let someone else score, what I want is for Portugal to win.”
Ronaldo dismissed any lack of attitude in the team and was confident they could unite and advance to the semifinals.
“There’s always attitude in the national team. Technical aspects, of course, but other things were lacking too. That’s football, you can’t always play well,” he said.
“There’s no need to be nervous. The past is the past. I know there are a lot of people who want us to lose, but if the few who are there are united and have good energy, I’m sure we’ll get a great result tomorrow.
We lost the game and played badly, but we have the second leg tomorrow. Calm down. Think positive and think that things will go well.”
