{
  "id": 12570693,
  "title": "I haven’t read Ronaldo’s statement yet, says Portugal coach",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/i-havent-read-ronaldos-statement-yet-says-portugal-coach",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-07T07:14:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch",
    "slug": "punch",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/i-havent-read-ronaldos-statement-yet-says-portugal-coach/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Portugal's coach Jorge Jesus stated on Tuesday that he had not read Cristiano Ronaldo's statement regarding their recent disagreement. Instead, Jesus was reportedly following the Portugal under-21 team. The football expert Fabrizio Romano shared Jesus's quote on X, stating, \"I didn't read Cristiano’s statement, I was watching Portugal U21 game.\" Jesus made these remarks after Ronaldo's 41-year-old forward published a detailed account of the events leading to his departure from the national team's training camp last week. In his statement, Ronaldo accused Jesus of breaking his promises on two occasions. Firstly, Jesus allegedly promised Ronaldo around 30 minutes of playing time against Norway in the UEFA Nations League, but then left him out after an extended warm-up. Secondly, Ronaldo claimed that Jesus failed to provide public clarifications at a subsequent press conference. Ronaldo reported that they had previously discussed a plan to manage his playing time throughout the international window. He stated that a private meeting with federation officials resulted in a set of points Jesus was required to address publicly but were not mentioned in Jesus's actual comments. Ronaldo apologized to teammates and fans for the way he left the team, acknowledged the possibility of facing disciplinary action, and left the door open for a potential return. Jesus, who took over as Portugal's coach after the 2026 World Cup and previously collaborated with Ronaldo at Al Nassr, has maintained that there was no fundamental crisis and that the squad rules apply equally to all players. Portugal remains unbeaten in Nations League matches this autumn under the veteran coach.",
  "summary": "Portugal manager Jorge Jesus says he has not yet read Cristiano Ronaldo’s lengthy statement detailing their recent dispute over playing time. Read More: https://punchng.com/i-havent-read-ronaldos-statement-yet-says-portugal-coach/",
  "key_points": [
    "Portugal coach Jorge Jesus claims he hasn't read Cristiano Ronaldo's statement.",
    "Ronaldo accused Jesus of breaking promises about playing time and press conference clarifications.",
    "Ronaldo apologized, acknowledged potential disciplinary action, and left door open for return."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "I haven’t read Ronaldo’s statement yet, says Portugal coach",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/i-havent-read-ronaldos-statement-yet-says-portugal-coach-12571019",
        "published": "2026-10-07T07:16:28.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}