Cristiano Ronaldo accuses Jorge Jesus of not keeping the promise
Cristiano Ronaldo broke the silence on Jorge Jesus by publishing a very long statement in which he reconstructs the episode that began on September 27, when the coach had promised him 30 minutes of play that were then not granted. The document, released by Ultime notizie, contains the personal version of the captain of the Portuguese national team.
On September 27, head coach Jorge Jesus had promised Ronaldo to line him up for thirty minutes, but at the end of training the promise was not kept. The lack of that playing time triggered the crisis that led the star player to stop training.
Consequently Ronaldo left the training camp, prompting the intervention of Pedro Proença, president of the Portuguese Federation, to try to contain the situation. The decision to leave the field fueled tensions between the player and the management.
The return from the 2026 World Cup
In the CR7 statement, Ronaldo says he prepared a letter to the Portuguese people immediately after the 2026 World Cup, a missive he still keeps. On the return flight from the United States, the federation president asked him to reconsider the farewell, asserting the FPF's desire to keep him in the squad.
The president then asked Ronaldo for an opinion on the name of the new head coach; Ronaldo said the choice was correct, and on the day of the new coach's presentation he declared that he was sincerely happy with the results achieved.
Ronaldo issues statement after fallout with Portugal coach, faces possible suspension
Game plan and rejection of the proposal
Ronaldo had the first contact with the new coach at the Cidade do Futebol, where the coach presented him with a project that envisaged his presence in the first and the last match, with three or four substitutions per game. The coach also proposed not to send the national team for the matches in Norway and Denmark, asking Ronaldo to stay in Portugal and return before the match at the Do Dragão.
Ronaldo rejected it immediately, believing that staying in Portugal would not be a good example for the team's capitulation. The dialogue involved Simão Coutinho, sporting director of Al Nassr, a key figure for Ronaldo's signing in 525.
Confirmation of the conditions and the match at Alvalade
On the evening of the start of the camp, the coach came to Ronaldo's house in Lisbon for an additional interview; the conversation was calm and all the agreements made in August were confirmed. Ronaldo then played the match at Alvalade, accepting the role of substitute without protest.
Ronaldo's Tuesday statement keeps him in Portugal squad despite fallout
During the game he handed the captain's armband to Bruno Fernandes, emphasizing that the victory was the most important result for the country. At lunch, before the match in Norway, the coach's assistant asked him if he was available to play thirty minutes.
Ronaldo, focused on his physical recovery, answered yes, even though the request was outside his training schedule. The coach confirmed that Ronaldo would be ready for those thirty minutes, thus closing the cycle of clarifications presented in the statement.