Jesus: ‘I Have Nothing More To Say’ After Reading Ronaldo’s Statement

Portugal coach Jorge Jesus has drawn a firm line under the public spat with Cristiano Ronaldo, confirming he has read the forward’s lengthy account of their dispute and declining any further comment.

Approached by journalists on Wednesday morning as he left home for the Portuguese Football Federation headquarters, Jesus kept his response brief and businesslike.

“I read the statement and now, like I do every day, I’m going to the Federation headquarters to work, to think about the Portuguese national team,” he said. “I have nothing more to say.”

The 72-year-old’s remarks mark a shift from late Tuesday, when he told reporters he had not yet seen Ronaldo’s statement because he was watching the Portugal under-21 side play in Leiria.

Ronaldo, 41, released a detailed, roughly 1,700-to-2,000-word statement on Tuesday setting out his version of events that led him to walk out of the national team camp during the recent UEFA Nations League window. The Al-Nassr striker, Portugal’s all-time leading scorer with 146 goals and 234 caps, accused Jesus of breaking his word on two occasions.

According to Ronaldo, the pair had agreed a fitness-management plan under which he would miss the matches against Norway and Denmark. On the day of the Norway fixture, however, Jesus told him he would play for about 30 minutes. Ronaldo warmed up from half-time but remained an unused substitute in the 2-1 win.

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A subsequent meeting involving Ronaldo, Jesus and Al-Nassr sporting director Simão Coutinho produced an eight-point document that Ronaldo said he validated. The notes, which Jesus was expected to deliver at a press conference, included an admission that it had been a mistake to warm up “someone of the stature of Pelé or Maradona” without bringing him on, praise for Ronaldo’s professionalism and loyalty, and a clear statement that the coach wanted the captain in the national team “not a little, but a lot.”

Ronaldo claimed Jesus’s public comments bore no resemblance to the agreed points and that the coach’s tone was aggressive. Feeling his trust had been broken a second time, the captain left the camp in Copenhagen before the Denmark match, later apologising to his teammates and the Portuguese public while accepting that the federation should punish him without mitigation because of his status as captain. He insisted the episode does not end his international career and that he will remain available after any suspension, provided he is fit and scoring for his club.

Jesus has previously maintained there is no lasting rift, denied any formal agreement requiring an apology, and said the door remains open for Ronaldo’s return if the player is performing at Al-Nassr and wishes to be selected. He has repeatedly stressed that the rules are the same for every player and that no one—not even a figure of Ronaldo’s stature—dictates his technical decisions.

The Portuguese Football Federation has yet to announce any disciplinary measures. With the international window closed, attention now turns to whether the public exchange of statements will affect future call-ups or whether both men will simply move on.