I was punched - Ronaldo

Ronaldo accused Turkish defender Bulent Korkmaz of punching him during Brazil’s 1-0 semi-final triumph tonight.

The Brazilian striker, who scored his side’s only goal just after half-time, said Korkmaz, the 33-year-old Galatasaray defender, struck him on the top of the head after the pair had grappled for the ball.

They then squared up to each other and the incident provoked simmering bad feeling between the two sides.

‘‘We fell together to the floor and when I got back up that is when we had the problem,’’ said Ronaldo, who complained to referee Kim Milton-Nielsen.

‘‘He stepped on me and I felt him hit me with his fist on my head. That made me very angry. I was furious. That is the only reason that I reacted as I did.’’

Turkish coach Senol Gunes, however, countered Ronaldo’s claims with his own accusations that the Brazilians had used dirty tricks.

Gunes echoed the claims of England’s Teddy Sheringham who had described the Brazilians as masters of time-wasting and admitting England had been too naive.

‘‘The Brazilian players used their tactics very well,’’ said Gunes. ‘‘Our players should not have been reacting. I told them not to but my players were angry.’’