Russia 2018: Ronaldo elbow deserved a red card ―Iran coach

Cristiano Ronaldo

Iran coach Carlos Queiroz was fuming after Cristiano Ronaldo escaped a red card in Monday’s Group B decider with Portugal.

Queiroz, who managed Portugal and Ronaldo at the 2010 World Cup, launched into a lengthy rant about the use of VAR after referee referee Enrique Caceres opted to book the Ballon d’Or holder following review.

Caceres watched the clash between Ronaldo and Morteza Pouraliganji on a pitchside monitor before deciding a booking was sufficient punishment for the foul.

Queiroz said: “The reality is you stop the game for VAR and there is an elbow. An elbow is a red card in the rules. The rules don’t say if it is Messi or Ronaldo it’s a little bit.

“Going back to the story about my daughter yesterday, I need to know if I am a grandfather or not. I don’t want to know if my daughter is ‘a little bit’ pregnant or there is evidence.

“It is a red card. The question, for me, is not about the referees. It is about the attitude and the bravery and the character.

“The decisions must be clear for everybody, for the people. In my opinion, Mr [Gianni] Infantino and FIFA, VAR is not going well. That is the reality.”

He added: “The truth must be respected and we need to know who is refereeing the games. I am not in a good mood, as you can see.

“If you implement VAR then to make mistakes is not human. To make mistakes is when a man alone on the pitch could not see something. We accept that.

“But when you have high-technology, training, thousands of dollars spent on one system and five guys sitting upstairs and they don’t see an elbow.

“It’s a yellow card? Give me a break.”

Ronaldo failed to add to his World Cup 2018 goal tally of four as Portugal squandered Group B top spot late on at the Mordovia Arena.

Ricardo Quaresma scored a stunning goal with the outside of his boot just before the break and Ronaldo missed from the spot after winning a penalty in the second period.

And the fluffed spot-kick came back to bite the Portuguese when underdogs Iran were awarded a penalty of their own in time added on.

Karim Ansarifard’s emphatic strike restored parity, but Portugal clung to second spot in the group.

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