Cristiano Ronaldo. Photo: AFP/Getty Images)
Portugal coach Jorge Jesus said on Monday that the fuss over Cristiano Ronaldo’s warm-up against Norway got bigger because Ronaldo is a national icon.
After Portugal’s Nations League match on Sunday, Jesus said people are making too much of the situation. He believes it should not hurt their relationship as coach and player.
Fabrizio Romano shared on X on Monday that Jesus said, “In my opinion, you can’t hold a one-year friendship against someone over a situation that is difficult to understand.”
He continued, “Just because it was him. Just because it was him, and perhaps rightly so, because he is a symbol, this whole issue of warming up and not warming up, coming on and not coming on, has been created.”
Similar Situations Happen Often
Jesus pointed out that other players deal with the same issues without causing a stir. He asked, “How many players warmed up today and didn’t come on? How many? Is there going to be a problem with any of them? No.”
These remarks follow Ronaldo leaving the Portugal training camp last week after a 2-1 victory over Norway. During that match, he warmed up for a long time in the second half but did not go into the game. Ronaldo had played in the previous match against Wales before being taken off.
Jesus, who coached Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, has said this incident is a misunderstanding and not a permanent issue. He keeps the door open for Ronaldo to return to the team in the future. He said that if Ronaldo wants to stay with the national team, the matter can be resolved easily.
The coach emphasized that no player is above the needs of the team and that he is responsible for decisions made on the pitch.
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