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Portugal coach Jorge Jesus has reacted to Cristiano Ronaldo’s explosive account of the dispute that led to his departure from the national team camp, saying he had not yet read the lengthy statement.
Jesus made the comment on Tuesday night after Ronaldo published a detailed first-person account accusing the coach of breaking promises over his involvement in Portugal’s Nations League campaign.
“I didn’t read Cristiano’s statement, I was watching Portugal U21 game,” Jesus told reporters, according to football journalist Fabrizio Romano. “I will now have time to read it.”
Ronaldo, 41, used his statement to explain why he left the Portugal camp last week, claiming Jesus first broke an agreement over his playing time against Norway before failing to honour a second agreement concerning what he would say at a subsequent press conference.
The Al-Nassr forward said Jesus had initially proposed a plan to manage his involvement across the international window, including playing the first and final matches while missing the other fixtures.
Ronaldo claimed that Jesus later told him he might play for about 30 minutes against Norway. He said he accepted the change despite it being outside his physical recovery plan, only to warm up from half-time without being brought onto the pitch.
He subsequently accused Jesus of breaking his word.
Ronaldo also said a private meeting involving Jesus, Portuguese Football Federation officials and Al-Nassr sporting director Simão Coutinho produced an agreement on how the coach would explain the situation publicly.
According to Ronaldo, an eight-point document was prepared, including his claim that he had never demanded playing time, had respected Jesus’ decisions and that it had been a mistake to make him warm up without eventually playing him.
Ronaldo said Jesus’ subsequent press conference did not reflect what they had agreed privately, prompting him to conclude that the coach had broken his word for a second time.
He also apologised to his teammates and supporters for leaving the camp, accepted that the Portuguese Football Federation could punish him and insisted that he remained available for selection after serving any sanction.
The latest development comes after Jesus had previously rejected the idea of a serious rift with Ronaldo and insisted that his decisions were based on what he believed was best for Portugal.
Before Ronaldo’s departure, Jesus had said he initially planned to leave the veteran forward out of Portugal’s matches against Norway and Denmark as part of a fitness-management plan. He also explained that Ronaldo warmed up against Norway because he considered using him but ultimately decided against it.
Jesus later left the door open for Ronaldo to return, saying the decision would ultimately rest with the Portugal captain.
With Ronaldo now having publicly laid out his version of events, attention has shifted to Jesus’ response after he reads the statement and addresses the allegations directly.
