Reports revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo, the captain of the Portugal national team, left the training camp before the match against Denmark, as part of the 2027 UEFA Nations League competition.
The newspaper "A Bola" published a video clip showing the moment Cristiano Ronaldo left the training camp of Portugal after Jorge Jesus's comments at the press conference regarding the match against Denmark.
The Portugal national team is preparing to face Denmark tomorrow, Thursday, in the third round of the fourth group matches in the UEFA Nations League.
Jesus said at the press conference for the Denmark match: "Ronaldo is not the main reason I'm here; the main reason is to face Denmark and to be the coach of the national team."
He added: "There are no problems with Ronaldo; the media primarily forced me to talk to Cristiano about a situation that did not exist at all."
He continued: "I told Cristiano: there is a lot being said about this in Portugal... Cristiano told me: I'm here for you to decide. If you want me to play, I will play. If you don't want me to play, I won't play. And if you want me in the stands, I will go to the stands."
Jesus clarified: "Ronaldo did not refuse to train... Cristiano trained in the gym, performed movement exercises on the field, and then did muscle-strengthening exercises in the hotel."
He added: "That's exactly what happened. And today he will train, come and watch the training session and you will see him. I'm not just talking about Cristiano: do you really think a player in the national team can refuse to train? Not just in Portugal, but in any national team. That’s what I wanted to clarify."
Jesus disclosed that there was a prior agreement with the captain of the Portuguese national team regarding his non-participation in the two matches, saying: "I talked to Ronaldo as I did with Bruno Fernandes, and I agreed with Cristiano that he would not participate against Norway and Denmark."
He explained that he is well aware of Ronaldo's physical condition due to their previous experience together at Al-Nassr, adding: "I’ve worked with Ronaldo for a full year, and I did not just get to know him suddenly three months ago. I am fully aware of his physical readiness, and through our work together at Al-Nassr, he rarely participated in consecutive matches every three days."
Jesus pointed out that the circumstances of the match remain a crucial factor in his decisions, saying: "The game scenarios determine my decisions. We agreed not to include him in the two matches, and maybe I would have needed him in the last minutes, but the course of the match changed all these calculations."
The coach of Portugal concluded his statements by saying: "I worked with Ronaldo for a year in Saudi Arabia, and there are no issues between us. I have faced many problems with other players during my career, so there is no need to exaggerate matters. The rules will apply to all players; everyone is equal."
Media reports indicated that Ronaldo preferred to use a better-equipped gym in the hotel rather than the training facilities in Malmo, but his actions in recent days did not meet the approval of many fans.
Reports indicated that Ronaldo, 41, initially agreed with coach Jorge Jesus, who won the Saudi league title with Al-Nassr where Ronaldo plays, not to participate against Norway.
The reports also stated that Jesus asked Ronaldo to play in the last 30 minutes; however, he changed his mind.
Portuguese media mentioned that this explains Ronaldo's behavior at a time when speculation is rising about the approaching end of his international career.