Portugal FA ‘to prepare’ for Ronaldo succession before Jesus amid selection row | OneFootball

Cristiano Ronaldo’s standoff with Portugal did not begin this week, and it was not sparked solely by his dispute with Jorge Jesus.

AS reports the federation had been planning for life after their captain, expecting him to end his international career after the World Cup, but the 41-year-old played on.

Succession planning entered discussions with prospective successors to former coach Roberto Martinez, with some candidates making Ronaldo’s exit a condition the federation were prepared to accept.

Jesus’s arrival brought those calculations into focus, as he managed a historic captain of exceptional influence whose role needed defining around the team’s needs.

The situation escalated when Ronaldo was named among the substitutes against Norway, then left the camp in Copenhagen following a clash with the coach.

After departing, he said he had made his decision after the manager’s press conference and a conversation with federation president Pedro Proenca, adding he would explain his reasons at an appropriate time.

Source: Goal.com

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