Cristiano Ronaldo vs Jorge Jesus row: All that has happened so far | Football News

The fallout between Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo and head coach Jorge Jesus took a new turn after Ronaldo accused the manager of breaking his word and presenting a false version of events in a 1,740-word statement issued to Portuguese media.

Ronaldo, 41, apologised to his teammates and supporters for leaving the Portugal camp midway through the Nations League fixtures but provided a detailed account of the events that led to his decision.

He claimed Jesus had promised him 30 minutes against Norway on September 27, only to leave him on the bench for the entire match. Ronaldo also alleged that, after the game, he and Jesus agreed on how the incident would be explained publicly, but that the coach later failed to honour that understanding.

Despite the bitter dispute, Ronaldo said he would not retire from international football and remained available for Portugal after serving any punishment imposed by the federation.

How the Ronaldo-Jesus row began

Ronaldo said he had supported the decision to appoint Jesus as Portugal coach after Roberto Martinez’s departure, describing it as the right choice.

According to Ronaldo, he later met Jesus and Simao Coutinho, the sporting director at his Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr, to discuss his role in Portugal’s four Nations League matches against Wales, Norway, Denmark and Norway.

Ronaldo claimed Jesus initially proposed that he would play in the first and fourth matches while not travelling to Norway and Denmark for the second and third fixtures.

The Portugal captain said he rejected the proposal because he did not believe it would set the right example for him to miss a national team trip even if he was not expected to play.

Ronaldo left on the bench against Norway

Despite the alleged agreement, Ronaldo remained an unused substitute as Portugal beat Norway 2-1. Ronaldo said Jesus had failed to keep his word and admitted that he was frustrated after the match.

He also acknowledged that he made a mistake by not going over to greet the supporters, apologising to Portuguese fans and those who had travelled specifically to watch him.

Jesus later explained that he had decided against bringing Ronaldo on because the circumstances of the match had changed and he no longer believed it was the right moment to introduce him. The explanation did little to settle the situation.

Ronaldo claims second meeting was held

Ronaldo said he, Jesus and Coutinho held another meeting 48 hours after the Norway game. He described the conversation as frank and said the three men agreed that Jesus would address the controversy at a press conference and explain what had happened.

According to Ronaldo, the agreed version was that he had never demanded playing time, that his schedule had been decided by Jesus and that it had been a mistake to make him warm up without eventually bringing him onto the pitch.

Ronaldo said a short document summarising what Jesus was expected to say was prepared, approved by him and handed to the coach. He also claimed Jesus ended the meeting by hugging him and promising to give that version of events to the media.

Ronaldo accuses Jesus of breaking his word

Ronaldo said he was subsequently disappointed by the way Jesus addressed the matter publicly. He described the coach’s approach as aggressive and said he did not deserve the tone adopted by Jesus.

The forward said the situation convinced him to leave the Portugal camp rather than wait for what he considered another breach of trust. Ronaldo stressed that his dispute was not about interfering in the coach’s tactical or technical decisions.

He said he had never attempted to influence such decisions during his international career and had always accepted what Portugal managers asked him to do.

However, he added that when a coach broke his word to him, he felt that his place was no longer there.

Ronaldo apologises for leaving Portugal camp

While making strong accusations against Jesus, Ronaldo accepted responsibility for his own actions.

He apologised to his teammates and Portugal supporters for leaving the camp after the Norway match.

Ronaldo said his behaviour should be assessed by the Portuguese Football Federation and that he would accept whatever punishment was imposed.

He also claimed that he had previously given Jesus and the federation an opportunity to tell him that his services were no longer required. According to Ronaldo, both responded that his place remained with the national team.

Ronaldo to not retire from international football

The dispute also raised questions over whether Ronaldo’s departure from the camp could mark the end of his Portugal career.

Ronaldo made clear that he was not retiring from international football. He said he hoped to have one or more farewell matches for Portugal in the future, while insisting that his immediate focus remained on competing for the national team.

Ronaldo revealed that he had actually drafted a letter announcing his international retirement but was persuaded to abandon the idea by Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca during a flight back from the United States.

He said that, provided he remained physically fit and continued playing for his club, he would be available for Portugal after serving any suspension that may be imposed.

What Pedro Proenca said

The Portuguese federation has attempted to frame the dispute as a misunderstanding. Proenca said the disagreement between Ronaldo and Jesus was a “misunderstanding” and indicated that the forward could return to the national team.

He said the federation, coach and player would need to sit down and calmly find the best solution after the completion of the Nations League fixtures.

Proenca also reiterated that Ronaldo remained part of Portugal’s plans and would be available to the manager when required.

What happens next

Ronaldo’s statement has now put his version of the dispute firmly into the public domain. The forward has apologised for leaving the camp, accepted the possibility of punishment and denied that he intends to end his international career.

At the same time, his accusations against Jesus have added another layer to an already tense relationship between the Portugal captain and his coach.

The next step will depend on how Jesus and the Portuguese Football Federation respond to Ronaldo’s claims and whether the three sides can resolve the dispute before Portugal’s next international assignment.