Bernardo Silva passionately defended Cristiano Ronaldo after he faced intense criticism for bursting into tears during Portugal's win over Slovenia at Euro 2024.
Portugal booked their spot in the semi-finals after beating Slovenia 3-0 in a penalty shootout.
Ronaldo converted his side's first spot-kick in the shootout as fans noticed his gesture after scoring.
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The 39-year-old redeemed himself after fluffing his lines from the spot in extra-time.
His effort was saved by Jan Oblak as the Portugal captain broke down in tears in a hugely emotional moment.
He was slammed for tearing up against Slovenia as Manchester United's Diogo Dalot consoled him on the pitch.
But Silva has jumped to the defence of Ronaldo, stating his reaction was 'totally acceptable'.
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Speaking in a pre-match press conference, he said: "Regarding Cristiano, we are humans and he felt emotional when he missed the penalty. That is totally acceptable. You want to help the team and he felt he could have done better in that moment."
The 29-year-old added: "In my opinion it's a very good penalty and a great save from [Jan] Oblak. Then he cried for a bit which is normal, which is how humans deal with emotions sometimes.
"So, I don't see any reason for people to discuss it. But obviously people will because that's the business."
Portugal have faced backlash at Euro 2024 from fans and critics alike, but the Manchester City star isn't concerned about what is being said about his team.
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"We don't complain about the criticism," he exclaimed. "It's for the good and for the bad. It's part of the job. Everyone knows a little bit about football.
"When it comes to June and the World Cup or Euros, everyone thinks they are a manager. We get that and accept that."
Silva, who has started three of Portugal four matches at the tournament, is set to start against France.
Topics: Bernardo Silva, Cristiano Ronaldo, Football, Portugal, Euro 2024
Nasir Jabbar