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What happens to Al-Bahá?
Portugal defender Ruben Diaz has fiercely defended his team-mates after a wide row over a number of players heading to the beach the day after they arrived at a training camp in California, blaming the media for blowing up the issue.
The editor-in-chief of the newspaper has startedRecordThe players were nicknamed the “Beach Boys,” a critical reference to the fact that they took advantage of coach Roberto Martinez’s morning break to enjoy an hour of relaxation on Lake Worth Beach.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Diaz, João Félix, Goncalo Guedes, Jose Sa, Diogo Dalot and Samo Costa took part in the trip, a spectacle that sparked widespread debate in Portugal about the professionalism of the players, especially after the poor opening draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo (1-1).
Four days before the clash with Uzbekistan, the Manchester City player made no secret of his displeasure with the media coverage at a press conference on Friday, saying sharply:
Diaz confirmed that the beach holiday was “beneficial” for the players, adding: “It’s a good thing for us. If it’s done right, there will only be benefits,” praising the initiative of Martinez, who “wasn’t afraid even knowing what would happen.”
Diaz wasn’t the only one to defend the move, with Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes earlier expressing his displeasure at the criticism, saying:
“We are used to everything we do being evaluated positively by some and negatively by others. I would also like to let our fans know that we are doing our best to play this match in the best possible way and represent our country to the fullest.”
However, the controversy comes at a sensitive time for Portugal’s national team, which is already suffering from internal tensions that have worsened after a disappointing opening game and Joao Neves’ controversial statements about Ronaldo.
Notably, Portugal are set to face Uzbekistan in a crucial match in the second round of the group stage as they look to make up for the two points they dropped against the Democratic Republic of Congo and avoid any surprises that could complicate their progress in the tournament.
