Jorge Jesus faces backlash after Cristiano Ronaldo row with Portugal national team | OneFootball

Jorge Jesus’s start as Portugal head coach has turned turbulent, with protest posters appearing across Lisbon after his row with Cristiano Ronaldo.

The placards accused Jesus of falling short and of having an inflated ego, while others thanked Cristiano Ronaldo. According to A BOLA, the posters were removed within hours by the authorities as they lacked authorisation.

The rift deepened when Ronaldo left the national team camp and said he would no longer play for Portugal. In a social media announcement, he stressed the decision followed a meeting with the Portuguese Football Federation president, prompted by recent comments from the coach.

Tensions first spiked when Jesus named Ronaldo for the Norway match but left the number seven unused. Days later, Ronaldo chose to step away from the squad.

The Portuguese Football Federation is working behind the scenes to calm the situation, and a full international retirement for Ronaldo is not ruled out.

After Portugal’s win over Denmark, Jesus downplayed the issue, saying it was closed and that he is now focused on settling the group for upcoming fixtures towards the 2030 World Cup.

Despite the turmoil, Jesus has started strongly, with three wins from three in the UEFA Nations League against Wales, Norway and Denmark.

Source: Coluna Do Fla

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”