Cristiano Ronaldo left the Portugal national team camp after coach Jorge Jesus broke a promise to apologize publicly for a recent incident, Spanish journalist Edu Aguirre reported on El Chiringuito.
The dispute started during Portugal’s match against Norway when Ronaldo warmed up for about 30 minutes in the second half but was not substituted on. According to Aguirre, who is a personal friend of Ronaldo, the forward felt betrayed because Jesus promised to publicly admit his mistake in a press conference before the next game.
Aguirre detailed that on the night of September 29, a meeting took place involving Ronaldo, Jorge Jesus, and Pedro Proença, president of the Portuguese Football Federation. During the meeting, Jesus apologized privately to Ronaldo for making him warm up without bringing him on and pledged to apologize publicly as well.
However, when Jesus faced the media ahead of Portugal’s game against Denmark, his tone changed. He avoided apologizing and instead emphasized his authority over the team, insisting he would not change his convictions. This reversal angered Ronaldo, who saw it as a betrayal and an attempt to diminish him in front of the squad and press.
Following the broken promise, Ronaldo decided to leave the Portugal camp. Jorge Jesus reportedly went to the airport to persuade him to stay but was ignored.
Ronaldo commented on the situation only briefly, saying, “in due time, he will tell the truth,” without elaborating further.
The episode exposed tension within the Portugal squad and raised questions about the relationship between the star player and his coach ahead of upcoming fixtures. Jorge Jesus has yet to issue any further statements regarding Ronaldo’s departure.
According to Yahoo Sports.
