Cristiano Ronaldo has broken his silence over his dramatic departure from the Portugal camp, accusing head coach Jorge Jesus of breaking his word and saying the dispute led him to leave the national team camp.
In a lengthy statement released on Tuesday, Ronaldo gave his version of the events surrounding his departure ahead of Portugal’s Nations League match against Denmark.
Ronaldo said Jesus had initially agreed to a plan under which he would miss the matches against Norway and Denmark to manage his fitness. However, according to Ronaldo, the coach later told him he might be used for around 30 minutes against Norway.
Ronaldo said he warmed up from half-time but was ultimately not brought on. He claimed this was the first time Jesus had broken his word to him.
The Portugal captain said a subsequent meeting involving Jesus and representatives from his club Al Nassr resulted in an agreement for the coach to clarify the situation publicly. Ronaldo alleged that the coach failed to follow through on that agreement, which he described as the second time his word had been broken.
“The coach had broken his word to me,” Ronaldo said in his statement.
Ronaldo also apologised to Portugal supporters and his teammates for failing to greet fans after the Norway match and for leaving the training camp. He accepted responsibility for his actions and said he was prepared to face any disciplinary action from the Portuguese Football Federation.
Despite the dispute, Ronaldo stressed that he has not retired from international football. He said that, if physically fit and performing well for Al Nassr, he would remain available to represent Portugal after serving any punishment imposed on him.