Portugal manager Jorge Jesus said late Tuesday that he had not yet read Cristiano Ronaldo’s lengthy public statement detailing their recent dispute, explaining that he had been watching Portugal’s under-21 team instead.
In a post on X on Wednesday, football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano quoted Jesus as saying: “I didn’t read Cristiano’s statement, I was watching Portugal U21 game. I will now have time to read it.”
The comments came hours after Ronaldo, 41, published a detailed first-person account of the events that led to his departure from Portugal’s national-team training camp last week.
In the statement, the Al Nassr forward accused Jesus of breaking his word on two occasions. Ronaldo said the coach had initially promised him about 30 minutes of playing time against Norway in the UEFA Nations League, only to leave him on the bench after an extended warm-up.
He also alleged that Jesus failed to make agreed public clarifications during a subsequent press conference.
According to Ronaldo, the pair had previously discussed a plan to manage his playing time throughout the international window. He said a later private meeting involving officials from the Portuguese Football Federation produced several points that Jesus was expected to address publicly, but claimed the coach’s subsequent comments did not reflect those agreements.
Ronaldo apologised to his teammates and fans for the manner of his departure, acknowledged that he could face disciplinary action and left open the possibility of returning to the national team.
Jesus, who took charge of Portugal after the 2026 World Cup and previously coached Ronaldo at Al Nassr, has maintained that there is no fundamental crisis within the squad and that team rules apply equally to all players.
Portugal remain unbeaten under the veteran coach in Nations League matches this autumn.
