Jorge Jesus did what Portugal needed with Cristiano Ronaldo | OneFootball

Cristiano Ronaldo may be eternal for Portugal. But that does not mean Jorge Jesus has to treat him as untouchable.

And, finally, someone seems to have understood that.

The decision not to put Cristiano Ronaldo on the field against Norway, after the forward had spent about 30 minutes warming up, caused irritation and ended with the player leaving the team camp. Jorge Jesus explained that he had considered using him, but changed his plan as the match demanded.

It was a technical decision.

And perhaps that is exactly what Portugal took far too long to do.

Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest player in Portuguese history. He is also one of the greatest in football history. His 146 goals for the national team and everything he built in the national shirt are not up for debate.

But none of those numbers picks the team.

The coach does.

And Jorge Jesus, unlike others before him, seems willing to do the job he was hired to do.

There is no disrespect in putting Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench. Disrespect would be pretending that time has not passed, that his performances are still the same, and that the national team must permanently adapt to the most famous player in the squad.

Portugal did that for years.

Now, someone has decided to stop.

Jorge Jesus took on the fight that was missing

The central point is not that Cristiano Ronaldo was left out of one match.

It is what that decision represents.

Jesus arrived at the national team with a responsibility that goes beyond choosing the starting lineup. He needs to prepare Portugal for a style of football less dependent on a 41-year-old player.

That requires courage.

And courage, in this case, means making a decision that will inevitably cause a stir.

Cristiano Ronaldo is used to being the protagonist. For much of his career, it was precisely his ability to take responsibility that turned him into Cristiano Ronaldo.

Except now, that same personality that helped build the myth must find its limit.

The coach.

Cristiano Ronaldo may disagree. He may be frustrated. He may believe he is still fit to play. All of that is legitimate.

What cannot exist is a national team conditioned by the will of its biggest star.

Jorge Jesus seems to have understood something elementary: if the coach cannot take Cristiano Ronaldo off, then it is not Jorge Jesus who picks Portugal. It is Cristiano Ronaldo.

And that would be a mistake.

Not because Cristiano Ronaldo is a problem.

But because any national team that wants to remain competitive needs to be bigger than its biggest player.

Roberto Martínez had opportunities to face this transition. At different moments, he chose to preserve Cristiano Ronaldo’s starring role.

Jorge Jesus chose a different path.

More painful, certainly.

More unpopular, perhaps.

But necessary.

Football cannot be managed like a museum. Trophies, records, and goals belong to history. The lineup belongs to the present.

And Portugal’s present demands decisions that are not made based on the size of a name.

If Cristiano Ronaldo continues, he will need to accept the new reality: he may be a starter, a substitute, or be subbed off.

Like anyone else.

If he does not accept it, the farewell will be the consequence.

Jorge Jesus does not need to defeat Cristiano Ronaldo.

He only needs to make it clear that Portugal is above Cristiano Ronaldo.

And, for the first time in a long time, someone seems to have had the courage to say that without apologizing.

(*) Wilson Pimentel is a journalist, radio host, businessman, and co-founder of RTI Esporte Agency.

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