Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo sets a condition for returning!

CNN Portugal reports that tensions between Cristiano Ronaldo and Jorge Jesus have worsened after his comments

Europe Today at 08:04

Add Foot Africa on Google

Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo sets a condition for returning!

While Jorge Jesus has left the door open to a return, Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly said to have set a clear condition for playing for Portugal again.

The saga between Cristiano Ronaldo and Jorge Jesus is far from over. After Portugal’s 2-1 win over Norway, the Portuguese manager had attempted to ease the situation by stating that “everything is open” and that the captain’s return now depended on his own decision.

But according to journalist Rui Santos, speaking on CNN Portugal, those comments allegedly had the opposite effect and deeply displeased Cristiano Ronaldo. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is reportedly said to have made it known that he no longer wished to return to the national team as long as Jorge Jesus remained in charge of the side. This position was reported by the journalist and has not, at this stage, been publicly confirmed by Ronaldo himself.

Ronaldo is reportedly said to have lost faith in Jorge Jesus

According to Rui Santos, the disagreement would no longer concern only the 41-year-old player’s playing time. Cristiano Ronaldo also reportedly believes that his manager’s public statements are not insignificant and has pointed to several contradictions in his comments.

The Portuguese captain is said to have been particularly unhappy at being left on the bench against Norway after warming up for part of the match. His absence from the team training session then fueled speculation, before his departure from the camp. Ronaldo had said at the time that he would explain the reasons for his decision “in due course.”

Jorge Jesus continues to keep the door open for him

For his part, Jorge Jesus is maintaining a much more conciliatory stance. After the win over Norway, the Portuguese coach explained that he considered the episode a “misunderstanding” that would be easy to resolve. He also stressed that any potential return would depend above all on Cristiano Ronaldo.

The two men know each other particularly well, as Jesus has already coached Ronaldo at Al-Nassr. Their relationship even appeared solid at the start of the camp, when the player publicly supported the coach’s appointment. In the end, just a few days were enough to completely reverse the dynamic.

234 caps and 146 goals now hanging in the balance

This crisis comes as Cristiano Ronaldo still boasts extraordinary figures with the Seleção: 234 caps and 146 goals, both world records in men’s football. He also remains Portugal’s iconic captain, having won Euro 2016 and the 2019 Nations League with the team.

Sportingly, however, Portugal performed perfectly well without him during this international window and secured qualification for the Nations League quarter-finals. Ronaldo, meanwhile, returned to Saudi Arabia to rejoin the Saudi Pro League with Al-Nassr. Jorge Jesus’s next squad announcement could now become a decisive moment in determining whether this rupture is temporary or truly marks the end of Cristiano Ronaldo’s story with the national team.

Also read: Disney to launch an animated series about Lionel Messi