CR7 hurls serious accusations at coach Jorge Jesus
The 41‑year‑old Cristiano Ronaldo, better known as CR7, has released an extensive statement in which he levels serious accusations against the coach of the Portuguese national team, Jorge Jesus, and also announces his future decision regarding the Selecao. In the letter he repeated: “In due time I will tell all Portuguese the truth about the reasons for my departure from the national team.”
Ronaldo releases XXL statement
About a week after his initial remark, Ronaldo published an XXL statement of over 1,700 words on his social channels. In it he detailed the incidents that had led to his premature departure from the international matches. The document was photographed by Octavio Passos (Getty Images).
Speculations about coach Jorge Jesus
Portuguese journalist Rui Santos reported for CNN Portugal that CR7 does not want to play for Portugal again as long as Jorge Jesus remains coach. Ronaldo explicitly addressed these speculations in his statement and dismissed them, emphasizing that he is ready to continue playing provided he is physically fit.
Agreements for the current international match period
For the most recent international match period there were clear agreements with coach Jesus: Ronaldo was to be used only in the first and the last of four games. Jesus wanted to keep him out of the two away matches for load‑management reasons and suggested that Ronaldo not travel with the squad but recover in Portugal. As captain Ronaldo rejected this proposal and explained: “I could not represent the team as captain and stay at home at the same time.”
Ronaldo issues statement after fallout with Portugal coach, faces possible suspension
Future participation, if fit
Ronaldo emphasized that once he is physically fit and after serving a suspension, he will play for his club, score goals and then be available for the national team. He wants to extend his current tally of 234 international caps, provided the conditions are right.
Recommendation for association post
In his open letter Ronaldo recommended to the president of the Portuguese football association the appointment of a 72‑year‑old candidate, whom he considers the right choice. “I told the president that, in my opinion, this would be the right choice,” he wrote.
Cristiano Ronaldo accuses Jorge Jesus of not keeping the promise
Finally Ronaldo assured that he will “in due time” reveal to all Portuguese the true reasons for his departure from the national team, while his final decision after the 2026 World Cup remains pending.