Cristiano Ronaldo will not be stripped of Portugal captaincy after throwing armband to ground in disgust against Serbia

CRISTIANO RONALDO will keep the armband for Portugal's game with Luxembourg despite throwing it to the floor against Serbia.

Selecao boss Fernando Santos has backed his star man, 36, to bounce back from the controversial draw in Belgrade.

A potential Ronaldo winner in stoppage time was not given after officials decided the ball had not crossed the line.

Replays showed a defensive clearance occurring just as the ball appeared to have gone in, with no goal-line technology to confirm the call.

The furious Juventus star - who is eight goals away from breaking the all-time international goal record - responded by lambasting officials and throwing his captain's armband to the ground.

But Santos insisted his excellent standing in the dressing room, and the justifiable cause behind his anger, will mean he keeps the captaincy.

The 66-year-old told reporters: "If Cristiano, who is an example to the national team and even the youngest say so, he had offended the coach, his colleagues or the federation, then yes, we would have to think about it.

"None of this happened.

"What happened was a moment of great frustration that could have happened to me.

"It was the frustration of someone who always wants to win, who gives everything for the national team.

"Nobody will say that his reaction was beautiful, but there's no point to discussing if Cristiano should remain the captain. That's something I want to be very clear about."

The armband dramatically thrown aside by Ronaldo will soon be auctioned for a Serbian children's charity.

And Dutch referee Danny Makkelie later apologised for turning down the late winner.

The draw kept Portugal in second place of World Cup qualification Group A, ahead of Tuesday's game with Luxembourg - who boast a 100 per cent record having beaten Republic of Ireland.

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Writing on his Instagram after the incident, Ronaldo stated: "I always give and will give everything for my country, that will never change.

"But there are difficult times to deal with, especially when we feel that an entire nation is being harmed.

"We will keep our heads up and face the next challenge now."

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