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Portugal’s coach explains what happened with Cristiano Ronaldo
Coach of Portugal’s national team Jorge Jesus has explained events surrounding the exit of Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo from the ongoing UEFA Nations League.
Ronaldo who captains the team was left out of the match between Portugal and Norway, with Ronaldo subsequently announcing his exit from the tournament, stating that he would explain the reason behind his departure “in due course”.
According to reports, Ronaldo left Portugal’s training camp in Copenhagen in a Portuguese Football Federation vehicle.
Responding to the development in a press briefing in Copenhagen ahead of the match against Denmark on Wednesday, Jorge said there was no personal disagreement between Ronaldo and himself, stating that the team’s objective is to win the Nation’s League.
“I want to make an introduction. The most important thing is the objective we are pursuing in Copenhagen. It is about respecting our opponent; we are playing against a great team. Our mission is to win the Nations League.
“I don’t have just one player, I have 23. You can ask me whatever you want about any of them. As for Cristiano Ronaldo, one question is too few. Three are too many. I will only allow two questions about him.
“Cristiano is not the main reason I am here. The main reason is Denmark,” he said.
Responding to a question on why Ronaldo was left out of the first two matches, the coach said:
“It’s true that I discussed it with him. We created a plan, just as we did with Bruno Fernandes, and I told Cris that he would not play in the match against Norway or against Denmark.
“I worked with Cris for a year. I didn’t arrive at the national team three months ago and suddenly meet him. I know his physical condition perfectly, and I already knew from my time in Saudi Arabia, when we had matches every three days, that Cris rarely played every game.”
He added that Ronaldo told him he was willing to abide by his decisions as coach during the games, stating that though he had considered using Ronaldo late in the match, he later changed his mind.
“During the match, in the first press conference in Portugal, he said: ‘If it’s to play, if it’s to be on the bench, I will stay, whatever the coach wants.’ He never refused anything. That’s what happened.
“I am a coach who does not go to the bench thinking that at minute 60 I will bring on Carlos Daniel. That’s not how I work. The match will tell me what I’m going to do.
“I had agreed with him that he would not play the first two matches, but maybe I would even have needed him in the final minutes. The match told me otherwise, and I didn’t put him on. That is the key point,” Jorge stated.
He disagreed with suggestions that his decision might have led to Ronaldo’s reaction, noting that status should not determine the use of players on the pitch.
“Now, let me tell you. I spent a year working with Cristiano. There is no problem here, man.
“I have had problems with many players. They didn’t want to make a drama out of something that doesn’t exist. I had a plan with Bruno, and everything was the same.
“This is to tell you that status is one thing. The rules are the same for everyone.
“Status allows the coach, based on a player’s past, to be cautious with decisions before the match. After the match, it’s the same. The coach has to decide, and always decides based on the objective, which is what’s best for the team.
“I told the same to Bruno Fernandes. After the match against Wales, he got injured, but I know Bruno. I worked with him. I asked him: ‘What’s wrong with you? You’re not the Bruno I know.’
“He was honest with me. I told him: ‘You won’t play the next match. You will play the next match in Denmark if you recover.’ Exactly what I did with Cristiano.
“Player status does not grant different rights. Status is about respect for their careers, as I do with everyone,” he stated.
Responding to reports about Ronaldo refusing to train, Jorge stated:
“He did not refuse to train. It is impossible. Do you believe it? It’s not Cris.
“Do you think any player on a national team refuses to train? Not in Portugal. In another national team, maybe. Only if he wants to leave and has other ideas. No one refuses to train,” he explained.
He said the reason Ronaldo warmed up but was not substituted into the match against Norway was not unusual, noting however that the player’s reaction was understandable.
“There was no incident. I already explained why it happened. I will explain it again. I have no problem with incidents. I have had many throughout my career. But don’t try to create a scandal.
“I told Cristiano he would not play these two matches. During the match, I thought maybe I would need him, so he warmed up. Then I didn’t put him on.
“Any player, when we are warming up for 20 or 30 minutes and then doesn’t come on, is not happy about that. Nobody is. Much less Cristiano. Much less Pelé or Maradona,” he noted.
He said he had disclosed his plans to Ronaldo and that there were no issues between them, adding that the president of Portugal’s football governing body Pedro Proença also spoke to him about the situation.
“They forced me to talk to Cristiano about an issue that didn’t exist.
“What we talked about was what he said in the press conference. He said: ‘I am here for you to decide. If you want me to play, I will play. If you want me to go to the stands, I will go.
“The president came, obviously. He has to be here with the team. He wanted to know what had happened because of what was being said in Portugal.
“But after dinner, we had already solved the problem, which was not a problem,” he said.
Responding to a question about promising Ronaldo 30 minutes of play, the coach said the decision to field a player was his and that no player could make him change his mind.
“I can promise whatever I want. I am the coach. This is very confusing for you. I am the coach. I told the player he should not play. I will put you on the bench. If I need you for 30 minutes, you will play; if not, you won’t.
“No player will make me change my mind. Neither him nor anyone in football. Nor any president. Never, absolutely no one!” he stressed.
