Portugal coach: I’ve not read Ronaldo’s statement
Portugal coach Jorge Jesus has said he had not yet read Cristiano Ronaldo’s lengthy statement addressing their recent disagreement, explaining that his attention was on the Portugal Under-21 team. Jesus made the comment late Tuesday after Ronaldo, 41, published a detailed account of the events surrounding his departure from the Portugal national team’s training camp […]
Portugal's coach Jorge Jesus revealed he had not yet perused Cristiano Ronaldo's extensive statement regarding their recent dispute, as he was instead focusing on his work with the Portugal Under-21 team. Ronaldo, 41, had published a comprehensive account of the events leading to his departure from the Portugal national team's training camp the previous week.
According to a post by football analyst Fabrizio Romano on X, Jesus informed reporters, "I didn’t read Cristiano’s statement, I was watching Portugal U21 game. I will now have time to read it." The disagreement between Ronaldo and Jesus centered around Ronaldo's playing time and comments made during the team's recent international fixtures.
In his statement, Ronaldo alleged that Jesus had not upheld a prior agreement on the amount of playing time he would receive during the international window. Ronaldo claimed he was substituted during a match against Norway in the UEFA Nations League despite completing a lengthy warm-up. Furthermore, Ronaldo said a private meeting between him and officials of the Portuguese Football Federation led to an arrangement that Jesus was supposed to clarify publicly at a later press conference, but the coach's subsequent remarks did not align with what was agreed upon.
Ronaldo expressed his decision to make his account public to explain his actions and offer his perspective on the situation, while apologizing to his teammates and supporters for the manner of his departure. He acknowledged the possibility of facing disciplinary consequences. Despite the disagreement, Ronaldo did not eliminate the chance of a return to the national team, leaving the door open for a potential reunion in the future.
Jesus, who assumed the role of Portugal's coach following the 2026 World Cup, previously collaborated with Ronaldo at Al Nassr. The coach insisted that there was no underlying crisis within the national team and emphasized that the rules governing the squad apply uniformly to all players. Portugal have maintained an unbeaten streak under Jesus in their Nations League matches this autumn.
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