This is his international break. For better or worse. Gonçalo Ramos divides opinions; he is a subject of debate. That is inevitable after Milan paid €74 million for him in the summer, therefore making him the most expensive signing in the club’s history. The spotlight is on him.
His start has been complicated, not so much in terms of settling into the Rossoneri squad or adapting to Italian football, his performances have always been objectively decent, if not good, but rather because of the number of goals he has scored. Just one, which is far too little for a centre-forward who arrived carrying so many (perhaps too many?) expectations.
Only one goal, but above all too few shots, too little presence in the penalty area and many, many kilometres covered. A "flaw" in the workings of the 'Diavolo' that Ruben Amorim will have to work on during the break and once the former PSG striker returns to Milanello.
But Gonçalo Ramos has also become a talking point with the national team. Two matches, two appearances (one as a substitute and one as a starter) and two controversies. The latest, and most recent, came yesterday and was sparked, ironically, by the winning goal scored by Ramos himself on Sunday evening in Oslo against Norway.
With the score at 1-1, Milan’s No. 9 took full advantage of a mistake by goalkeeper Nyland, who kindly presented him with the ball around ten metres outside the penalty area, and Ramos did brilliantly to beat him with a perfectly executed lob.
It was the striker’s 12th goal for Portugal in 29 appearances since 2022, only 11 of which have been starts. The reason for so few appearances in the starting eleven is, of course, obvious: Cristiano Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo had been selected to start by new coach Jorge Jesus on September 24 in the opening match of this Nations League campaign, a 1-0 victory over Wales. Ronaldo, with a mixed performance, stayed on the pitch for 67 minutes before being replaced by the Milan striker.
Jesus explained that he had decided to substitute Cristiano Ronaldo because he was tired, while Ramos could press the opposition and help defensively. The Portuguese media and supporters, however, had begun calling for more playing time for the Milan forward.
Jesus granted him that opportunity on Sunday in Norway, but Ronaldo remained on the bench for the entire 90 minutes. That was significant, considering that it had not happened in an official match since 2008, as relayed via Tuttosport in this morning's print edition.
Naturally, the exclusion of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner caused a stir and, as mentioned, attracted criticism and triggered fresh controversy. The debate shifted from people asking for more playing time for Gonçalo Ramos to people questioning how it was possible for Cristiano Ronaldo not to play even a single minute.
And Cristiano Ronaldo leaving the pitch area without greeting anyone and heading straight to the dressing room certainly did not help matters.
Gonçalo Ramos therefore finds himself right in the middle of the chaos. Whether he plays or not, whether he scores or draws a blank, he makes headlines. He will have to get used to it—not only in Milan and Italy.
The competition between him and a champion, even one who is 41 years old, is set to continue. For example, who will play on Thursday in Denmark?
Gonçalo Ramos is hoping to keep his place:
"Scoring always gives me confidence, whether I start the match or come on from the bench," he told 'RTP'. "Have I earned my place in the team? I would say yes. It was a good performance and I scored the winning goal on a difficult pitch. Perhaps that is a question for the coach, but in my opinion, yes."
One solution could be to play Gonçalo Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo together, sacrificing João Félix, although he has scored against both Wales and Norway. There is, however, another twist: where does the former Rossoneri flop play nowadays? Yes, you guessed correctly: at Al-Nassr, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo himself...
Good luck, Gonçalo Ramos. It is going to be an interesting season, from every point of view.
