Cristiano Ronaldo has denied claims that he swore at Portugal coach Fernando Santos during their World Cup defeat against South Korea on Friday.

The Portuguese superstar appeared to be angered when he was substituted late on by Santos before his team conceded a late goal to lose the game 2-1 and cut a frustrated figure on the bench afterwards.

The 37-year-old was brought off in the 65th minute with the score level at 1-1 and reports in the Portuguese media suggested that as he walked off the pitch, he aimed derogatory comments in the direction of his boss Santos.

Such an incident would have created a storm within the camp as Ronaldo is currently Portugal captain and one of the most influential members of the squad both on and off the pitch. However, Ronaldo has since clarified that he although he did become irritated, he aimed his ire towards a South Korea player – Hwang Hee-chan – not his manager.

“What happened was before my substitution, the South Korea player told me to get off quickly,” Ronaldo was quoted telling Portuguese reporters. “I told him [the South Korea player] to shut up as he doesn’t have that authority. There was no disagreement [with Santos].”

Ronaldo was also guilty of gifting the chance for South Korea to equalise from the corner, which ultimately led to their stunning comeback and allowed them to qualify from the group ahead of Uruguay.

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