After leaving the Portuguese rally in a series of four matches, Cristiano Ronaldo delivered his version of the facts in a long publication on Instagram. The Portuguese captain went back to the speech which he considered to be unheard of by Jorge Jesus, his unheard-of warm-up against Norway and the subsequent press conference.
Ronaldo tells behind the scenes of the controversy
According to Cristiano Ronaldo, the breaking point intervened during the meeting against Norway. Remaining on the bench, the 41-year-old attacker would have been asked to warm up in the second period before finally not entering the field.
For Ronaldo, this episode deeply affected the relationship of trust with Jorge Jesus. A meeting would then have been held with the breeder, the sports director of Al-Nassr Simao Coutinho and the advisor of the player Tiago Craveiro in order to find a solution to the controversy.
The aim was to prepare Jorge Jesus ' communication to the media. Ronaldo claims that several elements of language had been agreed to explain the situation and calm tensions.
Particularly praiseworthy phrases
Cristiano Ronaldo published the notes he said he had validated at the end of this meeting. Among the eight points mentioned, several point directly to its behaviour and importance for Portuguese selection.
The player reports that Jorge Jesus had to point out that he had "never questioned" his choices and that he had been "exemplary, loyal and professional".
Another element of language was even more explicit: the breeder had to say that he wanted Cristiano Ronaldo as a national team, while insisting on mutual trust between the two men.
Ronaldo also reports that Jorge Jesus had to highlight his proximity to supporters, highlighting his attitude towards those who ask him for autographs or selfies.
Comparison with Pelé and Maradona
But it is especially the sixth point that questions. According to Ronaldo, Jorge Jesus had to recognize a mistake in comparing his choice to a situation involving legends like Pelé or Maradona.
The expected message was as follows: "I made a mistake asking a player of the calibre of Pelé or Maradona to warm up without bringing him into play. If it were to be done again, I wouldn't do it again. »
This formulation shows how much Ronaldo expected from his breeder a public recognition of the mistake made in the match against Norway.
A broken trust
For Cristiano Ronaldo, Jorge Jesus' press conference finally did not match what had been agreed at the meeting. This difference between the language elements prepared and the public statements made by the breeder would definitely have deteriorated the relationship between the two men.
However, the Portuguese captain acknowledged that his hasty departure from the rally was not the best decision and apologized to his teammates and supporters.
Despite this episode, Ronaldo assures that he remains available to represent Portugal when he will be able to play. At the age of 41, he did not close the door to the selection and still stated that he wanted to contribute to the success of the national team.
