Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed that Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus failed to honour his promises on two occasions. He said the coach’s refusal to publicly clarify why he was left out against Norway led him to leave the national team camp, although he remains available after serving any disciplinary action.
In a detailed statement, the 41-year-old explained his version of the disagreement that resulted in his departure from Copenhagen before Portugal’s Nations League fixture against Denmark last week.
Ronaldo said he and Jesus had agreed that he would sit out the matches against Norway and Denmark to protect his fitness. On the day Portugal faced Norway, however, the coach reportedly informed him that he would play for 30 minutes.
“What happened next is known to everyone. I began warming up at half-time, watched the minutes pass and was never sent onto the pitch,” Ronaldo said. “The coach had not kept his promise to me.”
Portugal’s captain and record goalscorer said he later met Jesus alongside Simão Coutinho, the sporting director of his club Al-Nassr. Ronaldo claimed they agreed that the coach would explain the situation during his next press conference.
According to Ronaldo, they prepared an eight-point document stating that he had never demanded to play, had accepted Jesus’s decisions and that asking him to warm up without using him had been an error. The forward said the agreed points did not require a public apology, but maintained that the coach’s comments to the media were entirely different from what they had discussed privately.
“That was the second occasion on which he failed to keep his word,” Ronaldo said. “I chose to leave the training camp rather than wait for another promise to be broken.”
The statement outlined Ronaldo’s side of the dispute. However, following Portugal’s victory over Norway on Sunday, Jesus denied reaching any agreement with the player while indicating that Ronaldo could still return to the squad.
The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) did not immediately provide a response when asked to comment on Ronaldo’s statement.
Ronaldo apologised for not acknowledging the supporters after the Norway match and for walking away from his teammates. He accepted that his role as captain made his behaviour more significant. “The Portuguese Football Federation must review my actions and decide on the appropriate punishment,” he said.
Despite the breakdown in relations, Ronaldo insisted that his international ambitions extend beyond a ceremonial farewell appearance. “If I am physically ready and playing regularly for my club – and hopefully scoring goals – I will remain available after completing any suspension imposed on me. As always, I want to compete and win for our national team,” he added.
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