Sacked Portugal coach Paulo Bento "hopes" his dismissal wasn't influenced by Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo.
Bento was sacked a fortnight ago and hinted he didn't get along with Ronaldo.
He told RTP: "If Cristiano Ronaldo had something to do with it, only the leaders of the Federation and the player know about it. Do I think that has had an influence? I don't want to believe it because it would mean the roles had been reversed. The hierarchy would have changed and that would start a precedent which would not be good either for the president of the Federation or for the player. I don't think a player should be able to dictate what a director does, no matter how much influence he has."
Bento went on to speak about his relationship with the Real Madrid player: "You get to know people better when you lose. When you win you're bursting with joy. I didn't expect anything less from him. He was the best player in the squad and helped us achieve several objectives. I think I also contributed to help him perform so well for the national team for a period of time."
On the Portugal captaincy: "Ronaldo is more mature than he was a few years ago. He's a great professional, but if I had to choose, I would go for Joao Moutinho."
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