Ronaldo accuses Jesus of breaking his word, stresses wish to return
Cristiano Ronaldo has, after his departure from the Portuguese national team's camp, publicly accused coach Jorge Jesus of breaking his word and at the same time emphasized that he still wants to play for the team.
The 41‑year‑old striker explained that he left the training camp because he did not want to wait for another breach of trust, and wrote: “I decided to leave the training camp without waiting for another breach of word. For me, truth remains the most important thing in the relationship between people.”
Accusation and Apology
Ronaldo simultaneously apologized for his actions and admitted that, despite the coach's absolute breach of trust, he sees the responsibility solely on himself. “Despite the absolute breach of trust on the part of the coach – which witnesses of these conversations can confirm – I should not have done this. The responsibility lies solely with me,” he said.
Return despite possible suspension
He expects a sanction from the Portuguese federation, but emphasized that after the expiry of any possible suspension he will be available again, provided he is physically fit and scores goals for his club. “If I am physically fit and play for my club – and hopefully also score goals – I will be available after the expiry of any suspension that may be imposed on me, to represent our national team and win; just as I have always done up to today,” Ronaldo wrote.
Portugal showed in the recent Nations League weeks that the team can also function without the superstar: all four games were won and the place in the quarter‑finals was secured early.
The captain had left the national team last week after he was not used in the 2‑1 first‑leg against Norway. Despite this withdrawal, coach Jorge Jesus said that “Cris, in the next call‑up – provided he is playing for Al‑Nassr – is a candidate for the squad. If he wants to return, he will return.”
The 72‑year‑old coach, who trained Ronaldo in the previous season at Al‑Nassr in Saudi Arabia and led the club to the championship, emphasized that the misunderstanding is easy to resolve. Ronaldo has so far played 234 international matches for Portugal and scored 146 goals – both record figures in international football.
In conclusion, Ronaldo reaffirmed that, as soon as he is eligible to play again, he is ready to play for Portugal and contribute to victory, as he has done since the start of his international career.