Cristiano Ronaldo has broken his silence on his reported dispute with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus, explaining the events that led to his departure from the national team camp and reaffirming his willingness to play for Portugal.
Ronaldo addressed the controversy in an open letter shared on social media, saying he hopes to return to international duty once any suspension imposed on him has been served.
“If I am physically fit, playing for my club, scoring goals, I hope that after serving whatever suspension is imposed on me, I will be available, as I have always been until today, to compete and win for our national team,” Ronaldo wrote.
Ronaldo explains Norway incident
The 41-year-old forward also provided his account of what happened before Portugal’s UEFA Nations League match against Norway on September 27.
Ronaldo said there had previously been an understanding that he would not play in the match. However, he claimed Jesus later asked whether he was prepared to play for 30 minutes.
“To my absolute surprise, the coach asked me whether I was ready to play 30 minutes,” Ronaldo said.
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Ronaldo claimed the coach subsequently failed to honour the understanding they had reached and later spoke aggressively about the matter during his post-match comments.
According to Ronaldo, Jesus “broke his word” first by not bringing him onto the pitch and then again through his comments about the situation after the match.
Portugal went on to beat Norway 2-1 in the Nations League encounter.
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Ronaldo reaffirms commitment to Portugal
Ronaldo’s decision to leave the Portugal camp after being left on the bench sparked widespread speculation about his relationship with Jesus and his future with the national team.
In his statement, however, Ronaldo made clear that he still wants to represent Portugal and compete for the national side when he is eligible and physically fit.
The veteran forward remains one of the most prolific players in international football. He currently holds the men’s world record for international goals with 146 and is also pursuing the remarkable milestone of 1,000 career goals.
His latest statement is likely to ease some uncertainty surrounding his immediate international future, although any suspension imposed following the incident could affect his availability for Portugal’s upcoming matches.
