Stories
Jorge Jesus Breaks Silence After Cristiano Ronaldo Explains Portugal Exit
- •Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus stated he takes full responsibility for benching Cristiano Ronaldo and the subsequent fallout during the UEFA Nations League.
- •Cristiano Ronaldo released a 2,000-word statement accusing Jesus of breaking his word regarding playing time and apologizing to supporters for walking out.
- •Ronaldo revealed that Jesus had proposed a specific plan for his playing time during the international window, which led to a disagreement when he was left on the bench against Norway.
Key Questions Answered
Cristiano Ronaldo walked out of the camp in response to Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus going back on his word regarding playing time. Jesus had left Ronaldo on the bench during the Nations League match against Norway and stated he would not start against Denmark, prompting the forward's departure.
Jorge Jesus stated that he had not read Ronaldo's statement yet and questioned what he needed to apologize for, calling it a lie. Jesus took full responsibility for the decision to bench Ronaldo and for the subsequent events.
Jorge Jesus presented a plan for Ronaldo to start the opening and final home games while skipping travel for away matches against Norway and Denmark. Ronaldo rejected this proposal because he believed staying behind while his teammates travelled would set a poor example as captain.
