Cristiano Ronaldo said on Tuesday that Portugal coach Jorge Jesus broke promises to him, setting out his account of why he abruptly left the national team’s camp while also apologising to fans and teammates and saying he should face disciplinary action.
The row began last week when Jesus, 72, kept the 41-year-old captain on the bench for Portugal’s 2-1 Nations League win over Norway, the country’s first victory over that opponent. Media reports said it was the first time in 18 years of international football that Ronaldo had been left out of a match when fit and available. He then skipped three training sessions and left the squad, reportedly by private jet, ahead of the team’s last two fixtures of the international window.
In a first-person statement, Ronaldo said the Portuguese football federation’s president had urged him after the World Cup to postpone his international retirement and had sought his view on who should become the new coach. He said he backed Jesus, with whom he had worked at Saudi club Al-Nassr.
Ronaldo said Jesus presented him in August with a plan to manage his playing time, which he accepted, and that on the day of the Norway match the coach asked whether he could play about 30 minutes. He said he agreed, warmed up from the interval and was never sent on. He described that as the first time Jesus went back on his word.
He said that two days later he, Jesus and Al-Nassr sporting director Simao Coutinho agreed the matter should be settled by the coach explaining publicly what had happened, including that the plan was his idea and that using Ronaldo as a substitute-in-waiting had been a mistake. Ronaldo said he approved a short set of notes for that purpose, but that Jesus’s press conference did not follow the agreed approach and carried a tone he felt was unwarranted. He called that the second broken promise and said it led him to leave.
Ronaldo said the decision to leave camp was his responsibility alone and that he should not have taken it. He apologised for not greeting supporters in Norway after the match, and said the federation should decide his punishment without leniency given his status as captain. He added that he would be available to play for Portugal again once any suspension was served, and promised fans one or more farewell matches in the future.
Jesus said on Monday that Ronaldo was free to return to the squad if he wished, according to media reports, and the federation has publicly backed the forward to continue with the team. Ronaldo was shown back in training with Al-Nassr on Monday. A Portuguese journalist, Rui Santos, has said he believes Ronaldo will not play for Portugal again while Jesus remains in charge, a view that has not been confirmed by either side.
