José Boto laments CR7’s Portugal exit after Jorge Jesus row, keeps focus on Flamengo | OneFootball

According to Coluna Do Fla, Flamengo director José Boto regrets Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from Portugal after a clash with Jorge Jesus, while insisting his focus is on Flamengo.

He said it was sad that Portugal were being discussed for this rather than recent good results, and that a head coach’s decision must come before any personal interests. He added that Ronaldo is a brand even bigger than the federation, and he regretted how events unfolded.

Boto made clear he was not concerned with the national-team fallout, only with winning at Flamengo. He said idols must be respected, but being an idol does not grant special status above the team.

The dispute followed a 2-1 Nations League win over Norway, when Jesus did not use Ronaldo. The next day the forward missed training, then he announced his exit from the squad in a statement. The pair had previously worked together at Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, where they won titles.

Without Ronaldo and with Jesus in charge, Portugal beat Denmark 4-2 in Copenhagen on Thursday in the Nations League. Gonçalo Ramos, Ronaldo’s replacement, scored and assisted.

Boto worked alongside Jorge Jesus at Benfica for six seasons from 2009 to 2015, leading scouting and recruitment. He has not worked with Ronaldo, though in 2025 he said he wished to work at a team with him. Ronaldo plays for Al-Nassr, is 41, and is chasing his 1,000th goal.

Source: Coluna Do Fla

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