Ricardo Quaresma denies comments about Ronaldo: “Wish him well” | OneFootball

Ricardo Quaresma, former Portugal international, took to social media to deny statements attributed to him about the controversy surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo and the national team. The former winger refused to comment on the situation, wished the team and CR7 the best of luck, and assured: “those statements are false and were not made by me.”

At a time of tension around the national team, Ricardo Quaresma sought to distance his name from the alleged remarks that had begun circulating. The message was clear: any statement from him will be conveyed directly, through his official channels.

Faced with the circulation of words he allegedly said about the national team and Ronaldo, Quaresma responded with no room for ambiguity. The former player denied making the statements.

“In recent hours, some pages have decided to publish statements attributed to me about the national team and Cristiano Ronaldo. I want to make it clear that those statements are false and were not made by me,” it reads.

Quaresma added that he does not intend, for now, to enter the discussion, leaving only a message of support.

“At this moment, I do not intend to speak out on this situation. I only wish our national team and, naturally, Cristiano, the greatest success,” he said. “Anything I have to say will always be said by me and through my official channels.”

The denial shuts the door on interpretations about a possible stance from the former winger. Quaresma, who experienced great moments alongside CR7 in the national team, notably winning Euro 2016, opted for a brief and controlled intervention.

The controversy arose during a training camp marked by tension. On Wednesday night in Denmark, the national team returned to the hotel in Copenhagen without Pedro Proença and Jorge Jesus, who reportedly tried to convince the Portuguese captain to remain with the squad after he missed training, but without success.

Ronaldo left the hotel while his teammates were still training and did not say goodbye to the squad. He did not take part in the session, left the stadium in a vehicle assigned to the Portuguese Football Federation staff, and later traveled on a private plane from Copenhagen to Madrid.

The abrupt departure turned the training camp into a source of instability. Missing training and leaving without any contact with the other players gave shape to a rupture that had been building.

Before the session, Ronaldo was in the dressing room and listened to Jorge Jesus’ press conference. The forward felt betrayed because he believed the coach had gone beyond the understanding previously reached between them, after he had warmed up in Norway, where Portugal won 2-1, without being brought on.

It was in this context that the coach’s words took on particular weight. Jorge Jesus argued that no player’s status outweighs technical decisions.

“A player’s status does not give them special rights. Status means respect for their career, as I do with everyone, with Cris, with others I have had in my career,” he said. “I always raise the issue of what I want to do, of the plan I lay out with the player, and then the one who decides is me.”

On Ronaldo’s use, the coach was even more emphatic, rejecting any interference in his choices.

“If I need you for 30 minutes, you’ll play; if not, you won’t play. No player will ever change my ideas,” he assured. “Not him, not anyone in football. Not any president. Never, zero!”

The statements exposed two positions that were difficult to reconcile: on one side, the coach’s authority; on the other, the understanding Ronaldo believed had been broken. The captain’s reaction would ultimately go beyond leaving the training camp.

Cristiano Ronaldo made a decision presented as irreversible: he will not return to the national team. Thus, the match against Wales, at Alvalade, will stand as his last in a Portugal shirt.

In that match, CR7 started and was eventually substituted in the second half, in a game in which João Félix scored the winning goal. His departure from the camp in Copenhagen therefore seems to have taken on a definitive character.

The Portuguese captain left the hotel before the team returned from training. By not waiting for the other players, Ronaldo left the camp without saying goodbye to his teammates.

The gesture reinforced the image of a separation completed amid tension. Later, the player himself explained that the decision came after the coach’s words and a conversation with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation.

“After the National Team Coach’s press conference, and following a conversation with the President of the Portuguese Football Federation, I made the decision to leave the national team camp. In due course, I will tell all Portuguese people the truth about the reasons that led to my departure from the national team, to which I have always devoted myself,” it reads. “Now is the time to wish Portugal and all my teammates, without exception, good luck.”

Ronaldo thus postponed a more detailed explanation, but made it clear that he intends to publicly present his version. For now, the message combined a promise of clarification with wishes of success for Portugal and his former teammates.

The Portuguese Football Federation responded with a short statement, confirming Ronaldo’s departure from the camp and stressing that the national team’s preparations would continue with the remaining call-ups. The body pointed to the focus on the matches against Denmark, which ended in a 4-2 win in Copenhagen, and Norway, at the Dragão.

“The Portuguese Football Federation informs that Portuguese international Cristiano Ronaldo has left the national team camp, which is taking place in Copenhagen. Preparations for the matches against Denmark and Norway, the latter to be played at the Dragão Stadium, will continue as planned, with the remaining 24 called-up players,” it said. “The entire delegation remains fully focused on the national team’s upcoming commitments and on achieving the objectives set.”

The statement sought to refocus attention on the sporting commitments, without going into the reasons for the departure. It is in this environment, between versions yet to be clarified and a rupture already assumed, that Quaresma’s denial draws an unequivocal line: he will only speak in his own voice.

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