Rabat – Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus has issued a brief response to Cristiano Ronaldo’s detailed account of the dispute that led him to leave the national team camp last week.
Speaking to reporters outside his home on Wednesday, Jesus confirmed that he had read Ronaldo’s statement but declined to discuss the accusations publicly.
“I read the statement,” Jesus said. “And now, as I do every day, I’m going to the federation to work and think about the team and the Portuguese national side. I have nothing more to say.”
His comments came one day after Ronaldo broke his silence over his departure from Portugal’s camp in Copenhagen, accusing Jesus of failing to honor two agreements between them.
Ronaldo accuses Jesus of breaking his word
Ronaldo said he and Jesus had initially agreed that he would not play against Norway and Denmark as part of a plan to manage his physical condition.
However, Ronaldo said Jesus later told him he would play around 30 minutes against Norway. The 41-year-old warmed up throughout much of the second half but remained an unused substitute.
“The manager had broken his word to me,” Ronaldo said.
According to the Portugal captain, the two later held a video meeting involving Ronaldo’s adviser Tiago Craveiro and Al Nassr sporting director Simão Coutinho.
Ronaldo said Jesus then requested a short document outlining eight points that the coach was expected to address during his press conference before the Denmark match.
Among those points, according to Ronaldo, Jesus was expected to make clear that the forward had never demanded playing time, had respected the coach’s decisions and remained committed to Portugal. The document also included an acknowledgement that asking Ronaldo to warm up without eventually using him had been a mistake.
Ronaldo said none of the agreed points were communicated as expected.
“It was the second time he had broken his word to me,” he said, explaining that he then decided to leave camp.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner apologized to Portugal supporters and his teammates and acknowledged that he deserves to be punished by the Portuguese Football Federation for leaving the camp.
However, Ronaldo also made clear that he remains available to represent Portugal after any disciplinary consequences, meaning he has not announced his international retirement.
Jesus, meanwhile, has chosen not to respond to Ronaldo’s version of events in detail, leaving the dispute unresolved ahead of Portugal’s next international window.
