Ronaldo Furious With Jorge Jesus Over ‘Failed Promise’ To Play Against Norway

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly unhappy with head coach Jorge Jesus after being left on the bench throughout the 2-1 Nations League win over Norway on Sunday, September 27.

Portuguese outlet Record reports that the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) has arranged emergency talks involving Ronaldo, Jesus and federation president Pedro Proença to resolve the situation.

Ronaldo was reportedly promised around 30 minutes of playing time but Jesus did not bring him on during the match. Gonçalo Ramos scored the winning goal as Portugal secured their second consecutive win in Group A4.

Jesus explained after the game that he had intended to introduce Ronaldo but the circumstances of the match prevented him from doing so.

“I did not realise he was upset,” Jesus said. “Only he can answer that. What is certain is that not playing him does not mean I do not rely on him.

“In fact, before the match, I told him: ‘I will not start you, but I will bring you on as a substitute.’ This is football: it imposes its own rules, and in this particular case, there was no justification for changing the striker, bearing in mind that we have a match in Denmark and that he may be the first choice for it.”

Ronaldo reportedly went straight down the tunnel after the final whistle without acknowledging Portugal’s travelling supporters. He subsequently missed Thursday’s training session after the squad travelled to Sweden ahead of their match against Denmark.

The FPF said Ronaldo had focused on gym work instead, while reports in Portugal claimed that tensions had emerged within the dressing room.

Proença has reportedly changed his schedule to meet Ronaldo and Jesus as the federation seeks to settle the matter. The FPF has confirmed that Proença travelled with the squad but has not publicly detailed the purpose of his discussions.

Jesus, who previously managed Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, took charge of Portugal following Roberto Martínez’s departure. Before the Norway match, he said he wanted to manage Ronaldo’s workload during an international break featuring four matches in 11 days.

Ronaldo started Portugal’s 1-0 win over Wales last Thursday and played 67 minutes before being substituted.

The 41-year-old, who has scored 146 international goals, has said he wants to reach 1,000 career goals and help Portugal win another Nations League title.

Portugal currently lead Group A4 with six points from two matches. Denmark and Norway have three points each, while Wales are bottom without a point.