Ronaldo says dispute with Portugal coach followed two broken agreements

Cristiano Ronaldo says he remains committed to Portugal despite leaving the team camp during a dispute with head coach Jorge Jesus, and that he will return after serving any punishment imposed by the Portuguese Football Federation. The 41-year-old forward said he was not retiring from international football. In a lengthy statement reported by The Guardian, Ronaldo gave his account of the events surrounding his departure from Copenhagen before Portugal’s Nations League match against Denmark last week.

He said an earlier agreement was that he would sit out the Norway and Denmark fixtures while managing his fitness. According to Ronaldo, Jesus changed that plan on the day of the Norway match by telling him he would play for 30 minutes. Ronaldo said he warmed up from half-time but was not brought on, which he viewed as the coach’s first broken commitment.

The forward said he later met Jesus in the presence of Simão Coutinho, the sporting director of his club, Al-Nassr. Ronaldo said they agreed that Jesus would explain the situation at a subsequent press conference, using an eight-point document prepared after the meeting. Ronaldo said the document stated that he had not demanded playing time, had respected the coach’s decisions and that asking him to warm up without introducing him had been a mistake.

He said it did not require Jesus to apologise, but argued that the coach’s eventual public comments differed from what had been agreed privately. “That was the second time he had broken his word to me,” Ronaldo said, according to The Guardian. He said he left the camp rather than wait for what he described as the possibility of another unfulfilled promise.

Jesus denied on Sunday that he had made an agreement with Ronaldo after Portugal’s victory over Norway, while leaving open the possibility of the player’s return. Ronaldo also apologised for failing to greet supporters after the Norway match and for leaving his teammates. He said his status as captain made his actions more serious and accepted that the federation should assess and punish his conduct.

The Portuguese Football Federation had not immediately responded to The Guardian’s request for comment. The dispute has therefore produced competing accounts: Ronaldo describes two broken agreements, while Jesus denies that the later arrangement existed. The supplied reports do not indicate that the federation has ruled on either version or announced a suspension.

Despite the rupture, Ronaldo said he would remain available for Portugal if he was fit and performing for Al-Nassr. He said he hoped to be scoring goals for his club before returning to compete for and win with the national team. BBC Sport likewise reported that he was not retiring, but described the matter as a breach of trust with his coach.