Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed his continued availability for Portugal after explaining his decision to leave the national team camp and accusing head coach Jorge Jesus of breaking an agreement over his playing time.
The 41-year-old Al Nassr forward had raised questions about his international future following his departure from the squad, but said he remained committed to representing Portugal.
“If I am physically well, playing for my club, with goals I hope, after serving the suspension that may be applied to me, I will be available, as I have always been until today, to compete and win for our national team,” Ronaldo said in a statement shared with Reuters.
Ronaldo also apologised to his teammates and the Portuguese public for leaving the camp, adding that he would accept any disciplinary action imposed by the Portuguese Football Federation.
The forward left the squad after remaining an unused substitute during Portugal’s 2-1 away victory over Norway in the Nations League on September 27.
According to Ronaldo, he and Jesus had previously agreed that he would miss the Norway and Denmark matches as part of a plan to manage his fitness.
For all breaking news and latest gist:
👉 JOIN GISTSMATE WHATSAPP CHANNELHowever, Ronaldo said the coach changed the arrangement on the day of the Norway match and told him he would play for 30 minutes.
“Everyone knows the rest. I warmed up from halftime onwards, watched the minutes tick by and wasn’t called on,” he said.
“The manager had broken his word to me.”
Ronaldo said it was the second time he believed Jesus had failed to honour an understanding between them and that the coach’s public comments did not correspond with their private discussion.
“It was the second time he had broken his word to me. I decided to leave the training camp without waiting for any further broken promises,” he said.
Jesus, however, denied after Portugal’s victory over Norway that he had reached such an agreement with Ronaldo, while leaving the door open for the veteran forward to return to the national team.
Ronaldo also rejected suggestions that he had interfered with tactical or technical decisions during his international career.
“Never, at any moment, have I interfered in any technical or tactical decision of any coach or national team manager in almost 25 years of career,” he said.
“I accept, for better or worse, what they propose that I do. I respect the decision, and when they break their word to me, I feel that my place is not there.”
Addressing speculation about a possible farewell to international football, Ronaldo said he expected to have one or more farewell matches in the future but remained focused on competing for Portugal.
“I can promise all my fans, naturally and especially all Portuguese people, that we will have one or more farewell matches; there will be time for that. But when I think of the national team, what I really think of is competing,” he said.
Ronaldo, Portugal’s record goalscorer and most-capped player, has scored 146 goals in 234 international appearances.
He also recalled remaining with the Portugal squad following the death of his father during an international camp, saying his commitment to the national team had remained strong throughout his career.
The dispute between Ronaldo and Jesus has cast uncertainty over the forward’s immediate international involvement, but his latest statement makes clear that he intends to remain available for Portugal, subject to his fitness and any disciplinary sanction.
WARNING: If You Are Not 18+, Don’t Click The Link Below 👇🫣
Did you want to monetize your website, join MONETAG or ADSKEEPER and start earning
Please don’t forget to “Allow the notification” so you will be the first to get our gist when we publish it.
Drop your comment in the section below, and don’t forget to share the post.
Never Miss A Single News Or Gist, Kindly Join Us On WhatsApp Channel:
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vad8g81Eawdsio6INn3B
Telegram Channel:
https://t.me/gistsmateNG