Rafa rejects JJ approach to end Portugal retirement | OneFootball

According to Glorioso 1904, Jorge Jesus sought to bring Rafa back into the Portugal set-up, but the Benfica forward declined.

Jesus values Rafa’s qualities after working with him at Benfica in 2020/21 and 2021/22, a connection that fuelled hopes of a recall.

Rafa’s refusal stems from a personal commitment to honour his previous stance. He stepped away from international duty in 2022 citing strictly personal reasons and has not featured for Portugal since.

Despite Jesus’s push to add the winger’s pace and incision, the decision was final. Rafa thanked the new head coach for the trust but made clear his time with the national team is over.

The firm position forces Jesus to look elsewhere for attacking options, despite seeking an experienced player already familiar with his ideas. Rafa remains focused on Benfica’s commitments.

Source: Glorioso 1904

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