Ronaldo turns his back on Portugal while Jorge Jesus is head coach
Cristiano Ronaldo has no intention of returning to the national team as long as Jorge Jesus is in charge, according to journalist Rui Santos. The row began when the forward was left on the bench against Norway and later left the camp on his private jet before the match with Denmark.
The conflict between Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus appears to have reached a breaking point. According to journalist Rui Santos, speaking to CNN Portugal, the 41-year-old forward is adamant that he won’t wear the national team shirt while Jesus leads the team.
The tension arose during the match against Norway, in which Ronaldo didn’t get a single minute. He then missed three training sessions, and hours before the game against Denmark he called his private jet and left the camp.
According to Santos, the captain is furious about the coach’s comments and doesn’t accept his mixed messages: on the one hand, a wish for Ronaldo to return for the Nations League matches, and on the other, remarks that no one owes an apology and that the coach is the one who picks the squad.
Ronaldo himself has promised to tell the truth about what happened at the right moment. Federation president Pedro Proença called the situation a “misunderstanding” and assured that the door remains open for the star. A new attempt will be made to bring him back for the matches against Denmark and Wales in mid-November.
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