JESUS, RONALDO AND THE BROKEN-PROMISE ROW THAT SHOOK PORTUGAL

Portugal coach Jorge Jesus has responded to Cristiano Ronaldo’s lengthy statement about their recent dispute by saying he has not yet read the veteran forward’s account of what happened.

Jesus made the comment after Ronaldo publicly explained why he walked out of Portugal’s training camp, accusing the coach of breaking promises over his playing time and subsequent handling of the dispute.

“I haven’t read Cristiano Ronaldo’s statement yet,” Jesus said, according to reports, adding that he had been attending Portugal’s Under-21 match and would have time to read it afterwards.

RONALDO BREAKS HIS SILENCE

Ronaldo, 41, released a lengthy statement explaining his decision to leave Portugal’s camp ahead of the Nations League match against Denmark.

The Portugal captain said Jorge Jesus had agreed to a plan under which he would miss matches against Norway and Denmark to manage his fitness.

According to Ronaldo, however, Jesus subsequently told him he would play 30 minutes against Norway. Ronaldo said he warmed up but was not brought onto the pitch.He described the incident as a breach of trust.

SECOND DISPUTE

Ronaldo said the disagreement did not end with the Norway match. He claimed he later met with Jorge Jesus and that an eight-point document was prepared setting out how the coach would explain the situation publicly.

Ronaldo said the subsequent press conference did not reflect what had been agreed privately. He described this as the second occasion on which Jesus had broken his word.

Jorge Jesus, however, has disputed the existence of such an agreement.

RONALDO DOES NOT WANT TO RETIRE YET

Despite the dispute, Ronaldo has made clear that he has not retired from international football. He said he remains available for Portugal after any punishment imposed over his departure from the camp.

He also apologised for leaving his teammates and for failing to greet supporters after the Norway match. Ronaldo said he was prepared to accept disciplinary consequences.

ADVERTISEMENT

ValidViewNetwork reports that the dispute is currently based on competing accounts from Ronaldo and Jorge Jesus. Ronaldo has put his version of events into the public domain, while Jesus has not yet offered a detailed response to the statement.

The next stage will depend on the Portuguese Football Federation and whether the two sides can resolve the dispute before Portugal’s next international commitments.