Following his departure from the Portuguese national team, Cristiano Ronaldo has broken his silence with a lengthy statement: he accuses national team manager Jorge Jesus of breaking his word, but immediately apologises to his teammates and fans for his behaviour.
Cristiano Ronaldo has now spoken out at length – as he announced following his abrupt departure from the Portuguese national team – and, in a lengthy statement on Instagram, described what happened during the last training camp and how things could have come to this in the first place.
Together with Jorge Jesus – who, at their first meeting after the World Cup, had assured him that he was firmly part of the plans – they initially drew up a schedule for his appearances: Cristiano Ronaldo was to play in the first and last of the four Nations League matches in September and October, whilst his workload in between was to be managed for physical reasons.
However, ahead of the second match – the 2–1 win in Norway – Jorge Jesus had asked him at short notice to get ready for 30 minutes of playing time. Cristiano Ronaldo agreed, warmed up from half-time onwards, but was not brought on. For the 41-year-old, this meant that the manager had broken his word.
Two days later, a clarifying discussion took place. It was agreed that Jorge Jesus would openly explain the background to the situation at the press conference. However, the manager did not stick to this agreement.
“His behaviour had nothing to do with our meeting. I heard comments and witnessed a level of aggression that, in my opinion, I did not deserve – a haughty and arrogant attitude that he hadn’t even come close to showing towards me the day before,” explained Cristiano Ronaldo. This meant that Jorge Jesus had broken his word for the second time.
“I decided to leave the training camp without waiting for him to break his word again. For me, the truth remains the most important thing in relationships between people,” wrote Cristiano Ronaldo.
At the same time, the player, who has made 234 appearances for his country, apologised for leaving the team. “Despite the absolute breach of trust on the part of the manager – which witnesses to these conversations can confirm – I should not have done that. The responsibility lies solely with me,” said Cristiano Ronaldo. “I felt that staying on from that moment onwards would only have harmed the team, and I did what I’d always said I would: if I no longer feel I’m useful, I’ll pack my bags and leave.”
No retirement: “I’m available”
Cristiano Ronaldo expects to face sanctions from the Portuguese Football Federation for his behaviour. After that, however, he will once again be available if needed. “So, should I be physically fit and playing for my club – and hopefully scoring goals too – I will be available, once any suspension imposed on me has expired, to play for our national team and win; just as I have always done to this day.”
National team manager Jorge Jesus had indicated he was open to his captain’s return, despite the player’s departure. “As far as I’m concerned, Cris is a candidate for the squad for the next call-up – provided he is playing for Al-Nassr. If he wants to return, he will return.” At the same time, the 72-year-old coach, who managed Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia last season and led the club to the league title, spoke of a misunderstanding that could easily be cleared up.
