Boto backs Jorge Jesus over Cristiano Ronaldo, “I’m worried about Flamengo” | OneFootball

Boto regrets CR7’s departure from the Portugal National Team after clash with Jorge Jesus, but keeps focus on Flamengo

José Boto, Flamengo’s football director, commented on Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from the Portugal National Team after his disagreement with coach Jorge Jesus, the former Flamengo manager. The executive said he regretted the situation, but stated that he has more important things to worry about at Mengão.

— It is sad for Portugal to be in the news not because of the good results it has achieved, but because of a situation like this, involving the best-known and most representative Portuguese athlete of all time -, the executive said, adding:

— The coach’s decision must always prevail over any personal interest. Cristiano is a brand even bigger than the Portuguese Federation itself, so I regret that things happened this way -, he said, and added.

– I am not the least bit concerned about that; I am concerned about Flamengo. In football, what matters is winning. Idols must be respected, but the fact that someone was an idol does not give them any special status that allows personal interests to be placed above the team -, Boto pointed out.

What caused the disagreement between CR7 and Jorge Jesus?

The trigger was the 2-1 victory over Norway in the Nations League. In that match, Jorge Jesus did not put Cristiano Ronaldo on the field. The following day, the forward did not show up for the national team’s training session.

Then, the striker officially announced his departure from the squad in a statement. However, before the split, the two had already worked together. CR7 and Jorge Jesus were together at Al-Nassr (Saudi Arabia), where they won titles in Saudi Arabia.

How is Portugal doing without Cristiano Ronaldo?

Without CR7 and with Jorge Jesus on the sidelines, the Portugal National Team beat Denmark 4-2 this Thursday (01) in the Nations League. Gonçalo Ramos, Cristiano Ronaldo’s replacement, scored a goal and provided an assist in the match played in Copenhagen.

Has José Boto already worked with Cristiano Ronaldo and Jorge Jesus?

Flamengo’s director commented on the matter because he had already worked with the club’s idol. For six seasons, the pair were at Benfica (Portugal), between 2009 and 2015. At that time, ‘JJ’ was the first-team coach, while Boto headed the club’s scouting and recruitment department.

However, Boto has never worked with Cristiano Ronaldo. In 2025, though, the Flamengo director said that he wished to work at a team with the striker. The player belongs to Al-Nassr, is 41 years old, and is chasing his 1,000th goal.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.